The 365 Days of Astronomy Travelers in the Night Eps. 351E & 352E: Active Asteroid & Flying Mud Balls
Nov 23, 2025
Dive into the intriguing world of active asteroids, like 2008 GO98, which swing between asteroid and comet behavior! Discover how collisions and thermal effects spark comet-like activity. Learn about the carbon-rich C-type asteroids that make up 75% of asteroid discoveries and their potential for water and other resources. Explore the connection between these bodies and the very origins of Earth's water. Uncover the role of C-type asteroids in planet formation and their importance for future space exploration.
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Asteroid Turned Cometlike
- 2008 GO98 was first seen as a normal outer main-belt asteroid and later showed a coma and tail like a comet.
- Al Grauer recounts Greg Leonard's Mt. Lemmon observation that revealed its active-asteroid behavior.
Active Asteroids Bridge Asteroids And Comets
- Active asteroids have asteroid orbits but can show cometary activity from collisions or ice sublimation.
- Such objects can shift orbits and produce meteor showers or deliver water to early Earth.
Phaethon Fuels The Geminids
- 3200 Phaethon is an Apollo near-Earth object that sheds dust and fuels the Geminid meteor shower.
- Al Grauer highlights Phaethon's 2017 close approach as a rare study opportunity.