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Asteroids

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.

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Asteroids

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  1. Asteroids

  2. 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

  3. 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.

  4. C-type 75% of asteroids extremely dark (albedo 0.03) oldest material, carbon and other minerals. M-type 8% of asteroids bright (albedo 0.10 to 0.18) pure iron with nickel and other metals. Types of Asteroids • S-type • 17% of asteroids • bright (albedo 0.10 to 0.22) • iron mixed with silicate rock.

  5. Mathilde • Mathilde is a main-belt asteroid (66 km long). • Dark type C • Craters with little splash NEAR/Mathilde

  6. 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

  7. 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.

  8. 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

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