ESA Rosetta snaps pixs of diamond-shaped Asteroid 2867

William Atkins
Saturday, 06 September 2008 22:08

Science - Space

Schwehm told Associated Press reporters that the mission of Rosetta, which is studying minor bodies (such as asteroids) could “give astronomers crucial clues to help them understand the creation of the solar system.”

He stated, “Dead rocks can say a lot.”

The study of such asteroids also helps scientists learn more about the orbits of asteroids, comets, and other such minor bodies, and how they behave on their journeys through space.

Such information is useful to predict minor-body orbits that may come close to the orbit of Earth and cause a possible collision with our planet.