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ASTRONOMERS CATCH IMAGES OF GIANT METAL DOG BONE ASTEROID

NASA astronomers have collected the first-ever radar images of a "main belt" asteroid, a metallic, dog bone-shaped rock the size of New Jersey, an apparent leftover from an ancient, violent cosmic collision.

The asteroid, named 216 Kleopatra, is a large object in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter; it measures about 135 miles (217 kilometers) long and about 58 miles (94 kilometers) wide. Kleopatra was discovered in 1880, but until now, its shape was unknown.