An international team of physicists, led by MIT researchers, has developed a groundbreaking method to detect small asteroids, as small as 10 meters in diameter, within the main asteroid belt. These space rocks, ranging from the size of a bus to several stadiums wide, were previously undetectable using traditional methods. The team's discovery, detailed in a paper published in Nature, could significantly improve tracking of potential asteroid impactors, aiding planetary defense efforts.
The main asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, is home to millions of asteroids, but until now, scientists could only detect objects roughly a kilometer in diameter. The new detection technique, which utilizes the "shift and stack" method, is able to identify much smaller asteroids, even those far from Earth, enabling more precise orbital tracking. This breakthrough is crucial for planetary defense, allowing scientists to spot near-Earth objects that may pose a threat in the future.
Lead author Artem Burdanov, a research scientist at MIT, emphasized the potential of this technique: "We have been able to detect near-Earth objects down to 10 meters in size when they are really close to Earth. Now, we can spot these small asteroids when they are much farther away, which is key for planetary defense."
The new detection method, which processes vast amounts of imaging data, was initially tested on data from the SPECULOOS survey and a telescope in Antarctica. The team then applied the technique to images from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which is particularly sensitive to infrared light. Using JWST data from the TRAPPIST-1 system, the researchers identified 138 new asteroids, including several small objects likely to be near-Earth asteroids.
Professor Julien de Wit, co-author of the study, noted, "We thought we would just detect a few new objects, but we detected so many more than expected, especially small ones." The researchers believe their findings provide a window into the origin of meteorites and the dynamics of asteroid families formed through collisions.
This discovery opens up a new realm of asteroid research, where smaller objects, often overlooked, are being recognized for their potential impact on Earth. The team's work exemplifies the power of reanalyzing existing data and the role of modern technology in advancing our understanding of space hazards.
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