Study co-author Galin Borisov with AOP described asteroid 101429 as a "dead-ringer for parts of the moon where there is exposed bedrock such as crater interiors and mountains."
So what is the asteroid's origin story? The researchers proposed several options. It may actually be similar to common meteorites after all, but it's just been worn down by its space adventures over time.
It could possibly be a chunk of the moon. Christou described the debris-filled early solar system back when the moon was getting smacked by large asteroids: "A shard from such a collision could have reached the orbit of Mars when the planet was still forming and was trapped in its Trojan clouds," he said.
While you're here, how about this:
Agriculture on Mars: Can it be done?
Martian colonies of the future will require vast quantities of food, but bringing an endless stream of foodstuffs from Earth would be costly and dangerous. The best answer to this conundrum is to grow food in greenhouse, specially constructed for that purpose. However, such a system would likely require large quantities of topsoil as a growing medium for the plants (water to supply a hydroponic system would probably be in short supply).
University of Georgia (UGA) researchers developed a series of artificial soil mixtures mimicking the topsoil of Mars. These substitute samples of Martian regolith were composed of mixtures of soil, clay, salts, and other components readily available on the surface of Mars.
SCOTT HOLLIFIELD: A mission to Mars – or Junior's backyard | Columnists | martinsvillebulletin.com
I'm worn out from the election, and I'm on vacation. Please enjoy this previously published column from right after the world didn't end in the year 2000. It's the first of my many — so far— futile attempts to get hired on by NASA. I'll be back next week with something fresher.
* * *
In what has to be considered a setback in the effort to establish trade relations with Mars, mission controllers said last week they have given up hope of finding the $165 million Mars Polar Lander, which was supposed to touch down on the surface of the Red Planet on Dec. 3 to study the atmosphere and dig for ice.
Analyze This: Insect shells could help builders on Mars | Science News for Students
When people make it to Mars, they'll need somewhere to stay. There aren't many building materials available on the Red Planet. But a compound found in the shells of insects may help. That's the finding of a new study.
Because Mars is so far away and bringing supplies from Earth so costly, astronauts will need to make a lot of what they'll need. "The problem is that you need to do it in a place that is the opposite of Earth," explains Javier Fernandez. A materials scientist, he works at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. He was part of a team that developed a new material that may work to create buildings on Mars.
Were you following this:
Asteroid Trailing Mars May Be Our Moon's Long-Lost Twin
Depiction of the planet Mars and its retinue of Trojans circling around the L4 and L5 Lagrange points. The dashed curve traces the planet’s orbit. At L5, asteroid 101429 is represented by the blue point, the asteroid Eureka and its family are represented in red and amber respectively. Credit: Armagh Observatory
Reflectance spectrum of asteroid 101429 from data obtained at the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope in Chile and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawaii. This is plotted against a spectrum of an area around Littrow crater near the Apollo 17 landing site on the Moon obtained from the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii. Credit: Armagh Observatory
Hampton notebook: Strong boys soccer season ends in OT loss to No. 1 Mars | Trib HSSN | Trib HSSN
Hampton’s Corey Scherer celebrates his goal during a WPIAL Class 3A first-round playoff game against Kiski Area on Oct. 24.
Editorial: Virginia poised to play key role in mission to Mars - The Virginian-Pilot - The
If you were lucky enough to witness a flash of light streaking across the sky shortly the first Friday night in October, you were seeing a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket blasting off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island with a robotic Cygnus spacecraft bound for the International Space Station.
You were also seeing evidence that even as the nation is struggling with a devastating pandemic and an unusually contentious election, the space program and industries it has spawned are flourishing. That's good news for Virginia, home to an increasing amount of the action.
WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer championship preview: No. 1 Mars vs. No.
Mars’ Ellie Coffield works against Plum’s Andrea D’Incau during last year’s WPIAL Class 3A championship game.
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