VLT Reveals New Dwarf Planet Candidate
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have revealed that the asteroid Hygiea could be a dwarf planet.
Hygiea is the fourth largest object in the asteroid belt.
It was formed from one of the most violent impacts in the history of the asteroid belt.
Surprisingly, the observations revealed that Hygiea’s surface lacks the very large impact crater that scientists expected to see.
With the help of the SPHERE instrument on the VLT, astronomers found that Hygiea is spherical...
...potentially taking the crown from Ceres as the smallest dwarf planet in the Solar System.
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Transcription by ESO; translation by —