THE Sun may be sending asteroids careering towards Earth. Normally these
cosmic boulders sit comfortably within the asteroid belt. But no one is quite
sure why so many sometimes sneak off into orbits bound for Earth. Now William
Bottke’s team at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, points
out that as the spinning asteroids warm up on their sunward side, they lose the
heat again on their dark side. Computer simulations show that over hundreds of
millions of years, the radiated energy could be enough to nudge the rocks off
course (Science, vol 294, p 1693).
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from Â鶹´«Ã½
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending Â鶹´«Ã½ articles
1
We've found a mysterious substance on Titan and Pluto
2
Faecal transplant makes the brains of old mice act young again
3
Most portable air conditioners suck – but there's an easy fix
4
Has the answer to life's origins been hiding in our cells all along?
5
A quantum state that lasts forever may finally be within our grasp
6
Remarkable fossils rewrite the story of how animals conquered the land
7
Walking shark found in Papua New Guinea is new to science
8
Our brains have their first thoughts surprisingly early in life
9
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
10
Arctic Ocean reaches tipping point that could be dire for marine life
