Asteroid 1998 KY26 exhibits unexplained acceleration in space

Scientists are investigating the mysterious acceleration of 1998 KY26, an 11-meter asteroid that is deviating from its expected orbital path. While such movement is often attributed to the outgassing of ice in dark comets, new research published in the journal Icarus suggests this explanation may be invalid.

Aerospace engineers Korbin Hansen and Masatoshi Hirabayashi from the Georgia Institute of Technology developed a temperature model indicating the object is likely too warm to maintain the buried ice necessary for cometary propulsion. Even its coldest regions are estimated to be significantly warmer than the threshold required for ice to survive in space. The researchers conclude that 1998 KY26 is likely a dehydrated asteroid.

Other hypotheses include the influence of solar radiation pressure or, as suggested by astronomer Avi Loeb, the possibility that the object is a derelict spacecraft. The Japanese space agency, JAXA, plans to have its Hayabusa2 spacecraft visit the asteroid in July 2031 to further investigate its composition and behavior.