Astronomers discover that the small planet Itokawa
experienced an earlier collision
Partially compact, partially rather porous: the internal
structure of the elongated asteroid Itokawa is not consistent – and points
towards an earlier collision of two separate bodies. While one part of the
peanut-shaped body shows a density comparable to that of granite, the other is
built considerably far more porously, like densely packed sand. These are the
findings of an international team of scientists, including researchers from the
Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Göttingen. This is the first
time that scientists managed to catch a glimpse into the inner life of an
asteroid.