Why do so many icy objects at the edge of the solar system look like two spheres stuck together?
Sandeep K S
2 minutes ago
1 min read
The formation of contact binaries in the Kuiper Belt, resembling cosmic snowmen, involves a gentle fusion of two icy planetesimals. Approximately 10% of observed planetesimals exhibit this fascinating structure due to pristine preservation, with gravitational collapse and inward spiraling playing crucial roles in their development.
Why do so many icy objects at the edge of the solar system look like two spheres stuck together? A new supercomputer simulation has finally solved the mystery. In January 2019, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew past Arrokoth, an ancient, icy rock in the Kuiper Belt. To everyone's surprise, it looked exactly like a snowman. Even more surprising? It turns out about 10% of all planetesimals in the Kuiper Belt share this exact same "contact binary" shape.
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