Scientists say accelerating 1998 KY26 too warm for 'dark' comet
Technology
Asteroid 1998 KY26 has scientists scratching their heads because it's accelerating in a way that defies expectations.
Some thought it might be acting like a "dark" comet, with hidden gas jets pushing it off course.
But new research says KY26 is too warm to retain the ice needed to power propulsion, so that theory doesn't add up.
Hayabusa2 to visit KY26 July 2031
Engineers now think solar radiation pressure might be behind the asteroid's weird acceleration.
To get some real answers, Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft is set to visit KY26 in July 2031.
The mission could reveal what makes this little asteroid so unusual, and maybe teach us more about how asteroids and comets behave in our solar system.