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Transcript
Asteroids Asteroid Belt • Between Mars and Jupiter there are a number of objects. – Much smaller than a planet • The small amount of light led them to be named asteroids. Jupiter’s gravity keeps asteroids from growing too large. Mars’ orbit Main belt Jupiter’s orbit Minor Planets • 26 asteroids have diameters greater than 200 km. – Largest: Ceres, 933 km • Large asteroids show some differentiation into layers like a planet, including lava flows. Types of Asteroids C-type 75% of asteroids extremely dark (albedo 0.03) oldest material, carbon and other minerals. S-type 17% of asteroids bright (albedo 0.10 to 0.22) iron mixed with silicate rock. M-type 8% of asteroids bright (albedo 0.10 to 0.18) pure iron with nickel and other metals. Mathilde • Mathilde is a main-belt asteroid (66 km long). – Dark type C – Craters with little splash NEAR/Mathilde Trojan Asteroids • The law of gravity permits an orbit around the sun exactly 60º ahead of and behind Jupiter, called Lagrange points. – Asteroids collect there – Several hundred Trojan asteroids locked to Jupiter L4 Trojans Jupiter L5 Trojans Near Earth Asteroids • Asteroids nudged by Jupiter’s gravity head into the inner solar system. • Many of these now have orbits that cross the orbit of Earth. Eros • Eros is a near-earth asteroid (30 km long). – Bright type S – Impact boulders on its surface • The NEAR spacecraft also visited here, and safely touched down on the surface. NEAR/Eros