XPost: sci.space.policy   
   From: henry@spsystems.net   
      
   In article <1076186438.761951@haldjas.folklore.ee>,   
   Sander Vesik   wrote:   
   >> No, *some* of them are *possibly* rubble piles.  Some are definitely not;   
   >> Eros, in particular, appears to be essentially solid rock.  Even for the   
   >> low-density ones, the matter is not entirely settled...   
   >   
   >Surely also at least the double asteroids (two asteroids orbiting each other   
   >closely) are also not rubble piles?   
      
   They might be.  A close encounter with a planet can split a rubble pile   
   into a pair of rubble piles, by tidal interaction.  (In fact, one of the   
   points offered in support of the rubble-pile hypothesis is precisely that   
   we see a suspiciously large number of double asteroids, which ought to be   
   fairly rare unless there is some specific mechanism that creates them.)   
   --   
   MOST launched 30 June; science observations running     |   Henry Spencer   
   since Oct; first surprises seen; papers pending.        | henry@spsystems.net   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)