Discovery of the asteroid closest to the Sun
DECRYPTION – The surface of this object is resistant to temperatures up to 500 ° C.
American astronomers have just made an astonishing discovery by succeeding in detecting the asteroid which has the smallest orbit in the entire solar system under very difficult conditions. Asteroid 2021 PH27 rotates so close to the Sun that it takes only 113 days to complete a revolution, less than four months. As close as possible to our star, its surface temperature approaches 500 ° C, which would be enough to melt lead. In the Solar System, only the planet Mercury has a shorter orbit, only 88 days.
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Beyond these unusual characteristics, the discovery excites astronomers because this kind of internal object is extremely rare. We know today less than thirty stuck between the orbit of the Earth and the Sun. “It is an exciting discovery which asks a lot of questions about its origin, its composition, and the way in which it manages to withstand such repeated passages very close to the Sun”, comment
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