Strange ‘Equal Mass’ Binary Asteroid Found Near Earth

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

More than 18,000 near-Earth asteroids have been identified, and all of them are thought to be remnants of our solar system’s formation. They each have their own unique structure and properties. But despite their distinct variations, we still come across an oddball every once in awhile. On June 26, two separate teams of scientists confirmed an unusual “equal mass� binary asteroid cruising past Earth — one of only four ever discovered.

Asteroid 2017 YE5 consists of two equal-size objects, e

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