Hit and Run Asteroid Caused Scheila’s Comet-like Behavior

Asteroid or comet? That was the question astronomers were asking after an asteroid named Scheila had unexpectedly brightened, and seemingly sprouted a tail and coma. But follow-up observations by the Swift satellite and the Hubble Space Telescope show that these changes likely occurred after Scheila was struck by a much smaller asteroid. “Collisions between asteroids … Continue reading Hit and Run Asteroid Caused Scheila’s Comet-like Behavior