A recent study by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has challenged the long-held assumption that asteroid Vesta is a protoplanet with fundamental properties of planets. Contrary to previous findings, researchers have discovered that Vesta’s interior is surprisingly uniform, casting doubt on its classification as a differentiated body.
For years, scientists believed that Vesta was a prime example of a protoplanet, with characteristics similar to those of full-fledged planets. Its surface was thought to be the result of intense volcanic activity, which led researchers to conclude that it had undergone a melting process, forming a core. However, new data from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has revealed a different story.
By analyzing Vesta’s gravitational field and rotation patterns, the research team discovered that the asteroid does not exhibit the expected behavior if it had a core. This finding suggests that Vesta may not be a differentiated body at all, but rather a remnant of an ancient planet that broke apart during a collision billions of years ago.
The researchers propose two possible explanations for Vesta’s true nature: either it was in the process of differentiating when it was fragmented or ejected from a growing planet. However, these hypotheses are not without their challenges and require further analysis to be confirmed.
The study’s lead author, Seth Jacobson, emphasizes that the new findings have significant implications for our understanding of the solar system’s early development. “Vesta is no longer just another asteroid,” he says. “It could be a piece of an ancient planet before it grew to full completion.”
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/asteroid-vesta-nasa-dawn-mission-differentiation-collision-protoplanet-2065604