Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search

The geology and geophysics of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth

From National Research Council Canada

DOIResolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay3999
AuthorSearch for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4452-8109; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5018-7537; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5815-0536; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0951-7762; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3045-8445; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5846-716X; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3323-9304; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4131-6568; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3672-0603; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4503-3335; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4803-5793; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3234-7247; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0333-6055; Search for: ; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5901-4875; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8262-0320; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9548-1526; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6722-0994; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1988-223X; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8585-2549; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5372-4254; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9995-7341; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1377-813X; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0854-745X; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5375-4250; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0541-5569; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2297-3922; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0060-072X; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8296-6540; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5674-4936; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5920-9226; Search for: ; Search for: 1ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7032-5255; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4832-4456; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6160-1158; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4722-9166; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8541-8550; Search for: ; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1316-5667; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8580-4053; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7547-3967; Search for: ; Search for: 1; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5048-6254; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8821-5927; Search for: ; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6840-7187; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8003-7115; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7277-3980; Search for: ; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3520-7381; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5211-0020; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0152-6077; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1797-3138; Search for: 1ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8221-8406; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5010-0574; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6517-3864; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1139-4880; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5423-1600; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1869-4947; Search for: ; Search for: ; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7673-4479; Search for: ; Search for: ; Search for: ; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0407-2266; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5505-0510; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0531-8547; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4119-5700; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6361-6548; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3145-8682; Search for: ; Search for: ; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2718-997X; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0773-1888; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4580-3790; Search for:
Affiliation
  1. National Research Council of Canada. Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics
FormatText, Article
Abstract
The Cold Classical Kuiper Belt, a class of small bodies in undisturbed orbits beyond Neptune, is composed of primitive objects preserving information about Solar System formation. In January 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past one of these objects, the 36-kilometer-long contact binary (486958) Arrokoth (provisional designation 2014 MU₆₉). Images from the flyby show that Arrokoth has no detectable rings, and no satellites (larger than 180 meters in diameter) within a radius of 8000 kilometers. Arrokoth has a lightly cratered, smooth surface with complex geological features, unlike those on previously visited Solar System bodies. The density of impact craters indicates the surface dates from the formation of the Solar System. The two lobes of the contact binary have closely aligned poles and equators, constraining their accretion mechanism.
Publication date
PublisherAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science
In
  • Science 367, no. 6481, eaay3999.
LanguageEnglish
Peer reviewedYes
Export citationExport as RIS
Report a correctionReport a correction (opens in a new tab)
Record identifier0b4457cf-6a2d-423a-9130-a81c672caf03
Record created2020-07-07
Record modified2021-09-17
Date modified: