Youngest Pair of Near-Earth Asteroids Only 300 Years Old Spotted; When Will It Visit the Planet Again?

Astronomers have spotted two asteroids that may be the youngest space rock neighbors of Earth. The two asteroids are estimated to be about 600,000 miles (1 million kilometers) away from each other that likely broke off from the same asteroid just 300 years ago.

Petr Fatka, an astronomer at the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the lead author of the new research, said in a press release published by Lowell Observatory in Arizona that to find such a young asteroid pair is like discovering it just this morning in astronomical timescales.

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Youngest Pair of Near-Earth Asteroids Only 300 Years Old: When Will It Visit the Planet Again?

First Discovery of the Youngest Asteroid Pair

The majority of asteroids in the Solar System are in the asteroid belt, but those in orbit close to the vicinity of the Earth are identified as Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs). The asteroid pair was first discovered in 2019 when the Pan-STARRS1 survey telescope in Hawaii and the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona discovered a new NEA.

Identified as asteroids 2019 PR2 and 2019 QR6, the bigger asteroid is said to measure around 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) in diameter, while the second one is half the size. Further analysis showed that the two space rocks are an asteroid pair separated from a single-parent asteroid. But given its age, the asteroid pair has properties that are hard to explain.

They estimated that the asteroids likely broke off during the 18th century when the world was busy inventing the mercury thermometer, and fighting wars across Europe, according to CNet. Follow-up observations of the asteroids using the Lowell Discovery Telescope showed that the asteroids share the same properties.

The team dug into archive records of overlooked older observations of the asteroids in the Catalina Sky Survey to investigate the formation and history of the asteroid pair. The team also suggests that perhaps the asteroids have split off from a comet rather than an asteroid. However, they are not sure about it.

But Lowell Observatory astronomer Nicholas Moskovitz said that they have not observed the asteroids display any signs of cometary activity today. Therefore, its history remains a mystery 300 years after its formation.

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Asteroid Pair Classified as D-Type Asteroids

Scientists have classified the asteroid pair as D-type asteroids, Space.com reported. Astronomers believe that the duo is rich in compounds that disappear quickly in space if they get too warm. D-type asteroids are quite rare to find close to the Sun. Hence, the pair is never observed to have gotten closer to it since their closest approach to Earth in October 2019. Although they often wander out as far as Saturn;'s orbit.

Additional observations on the youngest asteroids help scientists to "rewind" their locations over the years to determine their not-so-distant past. They used modeling and estimated that the pair could have separated from their parent asteroid between 230 and 420 years ago or between 265 and 280 years ago.

The twin asteroids hold a lot of secrets and scientists are willing to uncover them. The team said that the asteroid will visit Earth again in November 2047, although they are hoping for an earlier return. Falka said that the two asteroids will become observable again from Earth in 2033.

The full findings are available on paper, titled "Recent Formation and Likely Cometary Activity of Near-Earth Asteroid Pair 2019 PR2-2019 QR6 Get Access Arrow," in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society journal.