This active asteroid has grown a tail! What happened?
These 3 images show asteroid 6993 ( 1995 BJ4 ) on 3 separate dates this summer. Is this active asteroid better described as a comet, or did it grow a tail due to a collision?
These 3 images show asteroid 6993 ( 1995 BJ4 ) on 3 separate dates this summer. Is this active asteroid better described as a comet, or did it grow a tail due to a collision? Image via the Zwicky Transient Facility/ NAU/ arXiv . This active asteroid has grown a tail! This summer, astronomers spotted something unusual about an asteroid in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid, named 6993 or 1995 BJ4 , appeared to be shedding material and growing a tail, much like a comet. So how should we describe this strange object?
Edited from EarthSky RSS for the Mars Colonization desk.
Edited by the news editor with AI from the original report — please refer to the original source.