Around 4 billion years ago, an asteroid hit the Jupiter moon Ganymede.
Now, a researcher realized that the Solar System 's biggest moon's axis has shifted as a result of the impact, which confirmed that the asteroid was around 20 times larger than the one that ended the age of the dinosaurs on Earth, and caused one of the biggest impacts with clear traces in the Solar System .
Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System, bigger even than the planet Mercury, and is also interesting for the liquid water oceans beneath its icy surface. Like the Earth's moon, it is tidally locked, meaning that it always shows the same side to the planet it is orbiting and thus also has a far side.
"I want to understand the origin and evolution of Ganymede and other Jupiter moons. The giant impact must have had a significant impact on the early evolution of Ganymede, but the thermal and structural effects of the impact on the interior of Ganymede have not yet been investigated at all. I believe that further research applying the internal evolution of ice moons could be carried out next," explains Hirata.
This research was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Hyogo Science and Technology Association.Astronomers used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to image the warm dust around a nearby young star, Fomalhaut, in order to study the first asteroid belt ever seen outside of our solar system in ...
Solar System Asteroids Comets And Meteors Pluto Moon Space Exploration Astronomy Space Missions
Norge Siste Nytt, Norge Overskrifter
Similar News:Du kan også lese nyheter som ligner på denne som vi har samlet inn fra andre nyhetskilder.
Gigantic asteroid impact shifted the axis of solar system's biggest moon, study findsAround 4 billion years ago, an asteroid hit the Jupiter moon Ganymede.
Les mer »
Two solar probes are helping researchers understand what phenomenon powers the solar windOur sun drives a constant outward flow of plasma, or ionized gas, called the solar wind, which envelops our solar system. Outside of Earth's protective magnetosphere, the fastest solar wind rushes by at speeds of over 310 miles (500 kilometers) per second.
Les mer »
Solar Orbiter shows how solar wind gets a magnetic pushESA's Solar Orbiter spacecraft has provided crucial data to answer the decades-long question of where the energy comes from to heat and accelerate the solar wind. Working in tandem with NASA's Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter reveals that the energy needed to help power this outflow is coming from large fluctuations in the sun's magnetic field.
Les mer »
Thin Film Solar Deployed In Biggest-Ever Solar Farm In The US EastThe biggest solar power plant east of the Mississippi River is deploying new thin film solar technology from the US firm First Solar.
Les mer »
Leaf-Like Solar Concentrators Could Majorly Boost Solar EfficiencyScience, Space and Technology News 2024
Les mer »
Solar System’s Largest Moon Was Shifted by Giant Asteroid Impact, Study SaysThe impact event happened 4 billion years ago and can be further investigated by an upcoming mission.
Les mer »