A rich Icarus issue for 1 July (vol. 434):
Charnoz, S. Limare, A. De Araujo Pereira, E. et al. Degasing of Phobos in a giant impact scenario: Implications for the MMX sample return mission Article 116462 .2025.116462
Sorli, K. C. Hayne, P. O. Cueva, R. H. et al. A 3D thermophysical model for binary asteroid systems: Application to the BYORP effect on (175706) 1996 FG3 Article 116527 .2025.116527
Rulko, T. A. Rau, A. Chomette, G. et al. Stress analysis of asteroids during atmospheric entry and implications for the breakup criterion Article 116526 .2025.116526
Merkulova, A. Y. Pavlov, A. K. Belousov, D. V. The impact of cometary outbursts on the orbits of comets in the Oort cloud Article 116547 .2025.116547
Williams, R. K. Emery, J. P. Visible spectroscopy of 3 KBOs and 1 Centaur Article 116554 .2025.116554
Varfolomeev, M. I. Emelyanov, N. V. Masses of binary asteroid systems with strong solar perturbations Article 116546 .2025/116546
Needless to say, recovery of a Phobos sample by the MMX mission is a big deal. Rather than wait to be surprised, Charnoz et al. postulate some ‘fork in the road’ observations. Certain results will likely be keystones, implying and perhaps unlocking other results. Charnoz et al. go through the reasoning.
We observe asteroids in the infrared… and asteroids emit in the infrared, altering their dynamics via the Yarkovsky and YORP effects. A good grasp of our “demand side” science then helps us understand the “supply side” at the asteroid(s). Sorli et al. unravel the infrared at one (?) particular target.
Meteorites are the evidence-in-hand from asteroids… but how well do we understand one, from the other? Meteorites have cracks, and break up as they hit our atmosphere. Rulko et al. consider the strength vs. friability question, which also has implications for planetary defense (Earth impact).
Not so in-hand: Oort Cloud objects are at the Solar System’s fringes, barely held by the Sun’s gravity. With this weak gravity, even the gentle push of escaping gas can have real effects on a body’s orbit. Merkulova et al. consider such pushes, due to radiolysis of comet stuff by cosmic rays.
The Kuiper Belt is the ‘Wild West’ of the Solar System- sparse enough to preserve ancient states, yet dynamic enough to have processes to study. Centaurs, then, are ex-KBOs or comets, perhaps Main Asteroid Belt escapees, and hard to stereotype. That’s what makes them interesting.
We have gotten quite good at extracting data from targets, despite them being just points of light in the sky. In the case of a binary system (whether stars, planets, asteroids, etc.), mutual gravity (Kepler’s Laws) let us derive quite a bit. Meanwhile, many asteroids are small enough that outside disturbances are relevant. Varfolomeev et al. take both binarity and outside effects into account for ten binaries.