"2023: A Revolutionary Year in Unveiling Asteroid Mysteries and Close Earth Encounters"
Recent observations of asteroids by the SPHERE instrument at the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope are providing new insights into the composition and origins of these celestial bodies, suggesting that many may have formed beyond their current location in the Main Asteroid Belt. The findings indicate a bimodal density distribution among these asteroids, with implications for the history of the solar system and the potential for asteroids to have delivered water and prebiotic materials to Earth. The research is also paving the way for future studies with ESO's upcoming Extremely Large Telescope, which will further our understanding of the early solar system and the emergence of life on Earth.