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Webb finds smallest asteroids yet in the asteroid belt
- Astronomers have discovered 138 small asteroids in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They range from bus to stadium size, with the smallest about 10 meters (33 feet) across.
- The team used a new imaging technique and data from the Webb space telescope to find the little asteroids.
- The new detection method can help astronomers track small asteroids that could potentially hit Earth.
- The researchers used a technique also used for finding exoplanets, or worlds orbiting distant stars, called the shifting and stacking imaging technique.
- Using this technique to search for asteroids requires significant computer resources.
- The detection method identified a total of 138 space rocks ranging from bus to stadium size. All of them were within tens of meters in diameter.
- Astronomers are getting better at tracking asteroids that might pose a risk to Earth. They’ve now spotted nine asteroids before impact with Earth’s atmosphere.
- The team found that many more small objects were formed through cascades of collisions that are very efficient at breaking down asteroids below roughly 100 meters (330 feet).
- The findings are a good example of how data can be used in different ways to make new discoveries.
- The discovery is a step forward in detecting the smallest asteroids, which will aid in tracking potential impacts.
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