This makes a recent trifecta of space themed science spots, here as we await anything material on our main power alley. [Thanks, Anon.!]
…When NASA scientists recently tracked the orbits of two space rocks as they made close approaches of Earth, they discovered a surprise: One of the asteroids has a little moon.
Astronomers regularly track the trajectories of asteroids to ensure that none of them are on a potential collision course with our planet.
While neither of the recent asteroids whizzed by at a concerning distance, the space rocks can yield valuable information that NASA uses to prepare for any potential future collision scenarios….
Astronomers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory… used [Goldstone, a] planetary radar — through the Deep Space Network to track and take images of the asteroids.
The Deep Space Network is a system of radio antennae on Earth that helps the agency communicate with spacecraft exploring our solar system and releases radio waves to act as radar across space….
In fact, Goldstone and the rest of the Deep Space Network of radar dishes are the way we stay in communication with now nearly 50 year old Voyager 1 and 2 missions, as well.
There you have it — even the tiniest space bodies, seem occasionally to possess fellow travellers. Shepherded moons, indeed. Grinning….
नमस्ते
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