NASA’s Webb Finds Asteroid 2024 YR4 Is Building-Sized
Hey, Space Placers! NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope recently captured these images of the asteroid 2024 YR4 using both its NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). Data from NIRCam shows reflected light, while the MIRI observations show thermal light. Download the full-resolution image. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, A Rivkin (JHU APL). Remember asteroid 2024 YR4 that for a time was thought to pose an impact threat to Earth? JWST has observed the space rock and gotten some good data: "We found that the thermal properties of 2024 YR4, in other words how quickly it heats up and cools down, and how hot it is at its current distance from the Sun, are not like what we see in larger asteroids. We think this is likely a combination of its very fast spin and a lack of fine-grained sand on its surface. We’ll need more data to say for sure, but it seems consistent with a surface dominated by rocks that are maybe fist-sized or larger. And of course, our main ...