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| NASA's Hubble Space Telescope |
The freak asteroid, designated P/2013 P5, was first discovered as an unusually fuzzy object through the Pan-STARRS survey telescope in Hawaii. The Hubble Space Telescope was then sent in to take a closer look.
Asteroid P/2013 P5 has six comet-like tails that radiate from it like the spokes of a wheel. It seems to change over time. When Hubble looked at it a second time after 13 days, the tails had completely turned around.
Astronomers have already given detailed explanations of what this asteroid is. Radiation pressure likely increased the spinning rate of the asteroid, causing rotational breakup and dust ejections. The scientists expect to find many more of such objects in the near future.
But aren’t we missing something here? Dare we also ask a more fundamental question? Are we sure this is actually an asteroid? Is it really a natural phenomenon? What about ancient legends of the gods that live at the edge of our solar system and will someday return to visit us? The images could just as well be a view of one of their spaceships..
Maybe we have discovered much more here and we do not even know it.