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Transcript
Asteroids, Comets, & Meteors Chapter 6 Minor planets AKA “asteroids” – rocky objects in orbit around the sun Usually not visible without telescope Largest is ½ the size of the moon Discovery of Minor Planets Many found by streak photography – timed photos so their movement makes a streak so small they look like stars in telescope Ceres – largest, discovered in 1801 Vesta – brightest Most asteroids between orbits of Mars & Jupiter in “main asteroid” belt Naming asteroids Given name and number (by order of discovery) once orbit known Ex: 1 Ceres Over 100,000 so given number of year discovered, then 2 letter suffix AA to ZZ Family A group of minor planets with a similar orbit Trojan asteroids Family with similar orbit as Jupiter Same distance from Jupiter as from the sun One group ahead and one group behind Jupiter Apollo Asteroids Family with closest orbit to earth Aphelion are >1ua, perihelions <1ua Icarus has closest approach to sun (2ua) Apollos tend to stay outside earth’s orbit Aten family Moving 200 mph, perihelion <1ua, aphelion >1ua Tend to stay inside earth’s orbit Could collide with earth if earth’s gravity stretched asteroid’s orbit Collisions unlikely (on different plane) NEAT: Near Earth Asteroid Tracking program Detects objects over 1 km in diameter near earth Homework: SRQ 6A 1-7 & Minor Planets Assignment