Illustration of Phaethon venting sodium gas (IMAGE)

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Illustration of Phaethon venting sodium gas

Caption

This illustration depicts asteroid Phaethon being heated by the Sun. The asteroid’s surface gets so hot that sodium inside Phaethon’s rock likely vaporizes and vents into space, causing it to brighten like a comet and form a tail.

Credit

NASA/JPL-Caltech/IPAC

Usage Restrictions

No restrictions.

License

Public Domain

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