Odd Asteroids

In Episode 3, now available on iTunes, we welcome Professor Tom Statler (University of Ohio and University of Maryland) who tells the fascinating story of how sunlight can make an asteroid literally fly apart, and one was caught in the act by the Hubble Space Telescope. The process is called YORP, and yes, it does have to do with the Muppets. Also we ponder the amazing case of an outer-solar-system asteroid (a “Centaur”) that apparently has two narrow rings circling it.

Listen on iTunes