lightweight asteroid

[Mark Schlegel <schlegel@xxxx.xxxxxxx.xxxx]

This is a pretty wild idea but could the lightness
of the asteroid be explained by foamed rock?
On earth there are plenty examples of magna that
when it reaches the surface and is unburdened from
pressure the dissolved gases are released and
fill the rock with voids and bubbles.  Some 
larger asteroids did seem to undergo at least 
some melting.  Melting could have released enough
gas to foam up the rock (the crust cracks and
the interior expands a bit).
I don't know if asteroids would have the
volatiles to do such a thing.

Some volcanic rock actually floats in water on earth.
Mark


From: Alan Grimes <alangrimes@S5QYPW5OrnzWyY9ELm1tFqPnEPnz178Kft12zXOEG-lqUuQqas6AKGWhVpgppAuUdkYincQNDF6cMDG2n7wNow.yahoo.invalid>

>> ASTRONOMERS FIND MOON ORBITING ASTEROID
>> 
>> Thanks to an adaptive optics system on a Hawaiian telescope, 
>>astronomers have taken the first Earth-based images of a moon orbiting 
>>an asteroid.  The discovery is raising eyebrows because the asteroid is 
>>extremely light 

>SPACESHIP?!?!?!?

>We Have GOT TO GET US A PROBE UP THERE YESTERDAY!!!!