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Transcript
Asteroids Asteroid Belt • Between Mars and Jupiter there are a number of objects. • All are much smaller than a planet. • The small amount of light led them to be named asteroids. Mars’ orbit Main belt Jupiter’s orbit Minor Planets • Ceres is the largest asteroid (933 km diameter). • 26 asteroids have diameters greater than 200 km. • These major asteroids show some differentiation into layers like a planet, including lava flows. Jupiter’s Pull • Jupiter’s gravity keeps asteroids from growing too large. • Its gravity also keeps bands of asteroids together with gaps like planetary rings. Types of Asteroids C-type S-type M-type • 75% of asteroids • 17% of asteroids • 8% of asteroids • extremely dark (albedo 0.03) • bright (albedo 0.10 to 0.22) • bright (albedo 0.10 to 0.18) • oldest material, carbon and other minerals. • iron mixed with silicate rock. • pure iron with nickel and other metals. Mathilde • Mathilde is a main-belt asteroid (66 km long). • It is a dark type C. • Impacts in Mathilde result in little splash at craters. NEAR/Mathilde Trojan Asteroids • The law of gravity permits an orbit around the sun exactly 60º ahead of and behind Jupiter, called Lagrange points. • Several hundred Trojan asteroids are known. • There are small asteroids locked to other planets. 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 another near-earth asteroid (30 km long). It is a bright type S. Impacts create boulders that rest on its surface. The NEAR spacecraft also visited here, and safely touched down on the surface. NEAR/Eros next