Kleopatra

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Asteroid 216 Kleopatra is a massive rock located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It measures approximately 217 kilometers long and 94 kilometers wide, making it roughly the size of New Jersey. This peculiar dog-bone-shaped asteroid is believed to be a leftover from an ancient cosmic collision that left its mark on the universe. Kleopatra is among several dozen asteroids whose distinct coloring suggests they contain significant amounts of metal. A team of astronomers utilized the 305-meter telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico to bounce encoded radio signals off Kleopatra's surface. By employing advanced computer analysis techniques, they successfully decoded the echoes and transformed them into detailed images. These images were then assembled into a comprehensive computer model that accurately depicts the asteroid's shape and structure.