{"id":129291,"date":"2022-06-23T16:04:01","date_gmt":"2022-06-23T20:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=129291"},"modified":"2022-06-23T16:04:01","modified_gmt":"2022-06-23T20:04:01","slug":"arecibo-observatory-scientists-help-unravel-surprise-asteroid-mystery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/arecibo-observatory-scientists-help-unravel-surprise-asteroid-mystery\/","title":{"rendered":"Arecibo Observatory Scientists Help Unravel Surprise Asteroid Mystery"},"content":{"rendered":"

When asteroid 2019 OK suddenly appeared barreling toward Earth on July 25, 2019, Luisa Fernanda Zambrano-Marin and the team at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico jumped into action.<\/p>\n

After getting an alert, the radar scientists zoned in on the asteroid, which was coming from Earth\u2019s blind spot \u2014 solar opposition. Zambrano-Marin and the team had 30 minutes to get as many radar readings as they could. It was traveling so fast, that\u2019s all the time she\u2019d have it in Arecibo\u2019s sights. UCF manages the Arecibo Observatory for the U.S. National Science Foundation under a cooperative agreement.<\/p>\n

The asteroid made headline news because it appeared to come out of nowhere and was traveling fast.<\/p>\n

Zambrano-Marin\u2019s findings were published in the Planetary Science Journal<\/em><\/a> June 10, just a few weeks before the world observes Asteroid Day, which is June 30 and promotes global awareness to help educate the public about these potential threats.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a real challenge,\u201d says Zambrano-Marin, a UCF planetary scientist. \u201cNo one saw it until it was practically passing by, so when we got the alert, we had very little time to act. Even so, we were able to capture a lot of valuable information.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turns out the asteroid was between .04 and .08 miles in diameter and was moving fast. It was rotating at 3 to 5 minutes. That means it is part of only 4.2 percent of the known fast rotating asteroids. This is a growing group that the researchers say need more attention.<\/p>\n

The data indicates that the asteroid is likely a C-type, which are made up of clay and silicate rocks, or S-type, which are made up of silicate and nickel-iron. C-type asteroids are among the most common and some of the oldest in our solar system. S-type are the second most common.<\/p>\n

Zambrano-Marin is now inspecting the data collected through Arecibo\u2019s Planetary Radar database to continue her research. Although the observatory\u2019s telescope collapsed in 2020, the Planetary Radar team can tap the existing data bank that spans four decades. Science operations continue in the areas of space and atmospheric sciences, and the staff is refurbishing 12-meter antennae to continue with astronomy research.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can use new data from other observatories and compare it to the observations we have made here over the past 40 years,\u201d Zambrano-Marin says. \u201cThe radar data not only helps confirm information from optical observations, but it can help us identify physical and dynamical characteristics, which in turn could give us insights into appropriate deflection techniques if they were needed to protect the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n