Ancient Rubble

RT2045-1879 is an ancient "main belt" asteroid that lies in an orbit between Mars and Jupiter.

The Rocket Team sent researchers and some students like me to find and study "primitive carbonaceous asteroids." This one is a loose collection of rocks that we nicknamed "Blarney Rubble."

Pip took this photo as we explored asteroid RT2045-1879.
It rotates slowly, and this was a sunset picture with long shadows.

Carbonaceous asteroids are interesting because they are part of the earliest objects that formed the planets and moons in our Solar System.

When we look at Earth rocks, we cannot see back to the original chemicals since Earth's active geology - like plate tectonics - alter rocks over time.

But good old Blarney Rubble has been chilling (literally) without changes for billions of years. Here, we can find clues to the origin of the Solar System that are impossible to find on Earth.

This illustration shows the main asteroid belt. Credit: NASA/ESA/STScI