Astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) have investigated the Taurid resonant swarm, a large interplanetary system that contains comet 2P/Encke, several meteoroid streams, and possibly a number of near-Earth asteroids.
This image taken by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope shows the comet 2P/Encke riding along its pebbly trail of debris. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / University of Minnesota.
“We took advantage of a rare opportunity when this swarm of asteroids passed closer to Earth, allowing us to more efficiently search for objects that could pose a threat to our planet,” said Dr. Quanzhi Ye, an astronomer at the University of Maryland.
“Our findings suggest that the risk of being hit by a large asteroid in the Taurid swarm is much lower than we believed, which is great news for planetary defense.”
Prior to this study, astronomers speculated that the Taurid resonant swarm contained a considerable number of large, kilometer-class space rocks left behind by a large object possibly up to 100 km (62 miles) wide.
Large objects can cause regional damage if they were to impact Earth, such as the Chelyabinsk asteroid in 2013.
Even larger objects can cause extinction-level events, such as the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs over 66 million years ago.
“Fortunately, we found that it’s likely there may only be a handful of asteroids — perhaps only nine to 14 of them — that fit this large size class in the swarm,” Dr. Ye said.
“Judging from our findings, the parent object that originally created the swarm was probably closer to 10 km (6.2 miles) in diameter rather than a massive 100-km object.”
“While we still need to be vigilant about asteroid impacts, we can probably sleep better knowing these results.”
The Taurid swarm holds important clues about planetary evolution, especially due to its connection to the comet Encke.
This comet has the one of the shortest orbital periods of known comets at just 3.3 years.
It is also unusually large and dusty for a short-period comet, orbiting the Sun in 200 years or less.
Considering all available evidence, scientists believe that Encke experienced significant fragmentation in the past — and may continue to fall apart similarly in the future.
“Studying the Taurid swarm helps us understand how small celestial bodies like comets and asteroids form and break apart over time,” Dr. Ye said.
“Our research has implications not just for asteroid detection and planetary defense, but also for our broader understanding of solar system objects.”
The researchers presented their findings this week at DPS56, the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences annual meeting.
_____
Quanzhi Ye et al. 2024. In Search of the Potentially Hazardous Asteroids in the Taurid Resonant Swarm. DPS56
Source : Breaking Science News