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Did we find the stolen twin of our Moon?
Close observation of a Trojan asteroid called (101429) 1998 VF31, which follows the gravitational trail of Mars, raises some interesting questions about its origin. Could this be the stolen twin of our Moon?
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A Trojan is a small celestial body, mostly asteroids that share the orbit of a larger celestial body. They remain in a stable orbit about 60 degrees in front of or behind the main body.
Most of the Trojan asteroids we know of share Jupiter’s orbit, but Earth and Mars also have them. Trojan (101429) 1998 VF31 appears to be unique among all those following the orbit of Mars. All other trojans on the red planet, called Martian L5 trojans, belong to what is known as the Eureka family. It is believed that they broke away from their parents’ space rock.
Using a spectrograph called the X-SHOOTER on the 8-m Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory in Chile, astronomers at the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (AOP) in Northern Ireland observed how sunlight shines reflects on 101429 and other L5 trojans in the Eureka family.
Read also: NASA announces the new launch date for the launch of SpaceX Crew-1 on the ISS
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The spectral signature did not match its relatives in the Eureka family, but it was very similar to that of our Moon. Researchers say this Trojan may represent a relic fragment of the Moon’s original solid crust. The results are reported in Icarus.
According to AOP astrochemist Galin Borisov, “The spectrum of this particular asteroid appears to be almost dead center for parts of the Moon where exposed bedrock is present such as the interior of craters and mountains.”
If this is true, then it raises the next question, how did the Moon’s lost twin end up as a trojan bonded to Mars?
In the early solar system, the space between the newly formed planets was filled with debris, and collisions were common. A fragment of such a collision on the moon may have reached the orbit of Mars and become trapped in its clouds of Troy.
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Another theory suggests that 101429 is a fragment of Mars that ended up resembling our Moon due to atmospheric agents caused by solar radiation.
Further observations with a more powerful spectrograph or even a visit by a future spacecraft could shed light on its origins.
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Source: ScienceAlert
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