Asteroids Murphy McGraw

What they are Rocky and metallic objects that orbit the Sun but are too small to be considered planets No atmospheres Diverse group of small celestial bodies in the solar system Known as "minor planets" Made of rock and metal

Rocky and metallic objects that orbit the Sun but are too small to be considered planets

No atmospheres

Diverse group of small celestial bodies in the solar system

Known as "minor planets"

Made of rock and metal

History 65 million years ago 1801 – Ceres June 30, 1908 Theories on chemicals

65 million years ago

1801 – Ceres

June 30, 1908

Theories on chemicals

Why study them? Where are they? Could they strike earth (again?) Mineral Resources Formation of the Solar System and our own Earth.

Where are they? Could they strike earth (again?)

Mineral Resources

Formation of the Solar System and our own Earth.

How to study them Telescopes Spectroscopes Rockets Spacecrafts Six space missions Laboratory analysis of meteorites

Telescopes

Spectroscopes

Rockets

Spacecrafts

Six space missions

Laboratory analysis of meteorites

Types C-type S-type M-type Rare types

C-type

S-type

M-type

Rare types

How they are classified Classified by Aledo Composition derived from spectral features in their reflected sunlight Inferred similarities to known meteorite types

Classified by Aledo

Composition derived from spectral features in their reflected sunlight

Inferred similarities to known meteorite types

Where they are located Asteroid Belt Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) Amors Apollos Atens Trojans

Asteroid Belt Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter

Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs)

Amors

Apollos

Atens

Trojans

Sizes and Shapes All different shapes and sizes Nearly spherical (Ceres) Very irregular (Eros, most others) Size ranging- very small (rocks)  very large (minor planets)

All different shapes and sizes

Nearly spherical (Ceres)

Very irregular (Eros, most others)

Size ranging- very small (rocks)  very large (minor planets)

Bibliography / Questions? http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/text/asteroids.txt http://www.nineplanets.org/asteroids.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnCommunity/flashbacks/fb_12.pdf http://www.noao.edu/education/asteroids/

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/text/asteroids.txt

http://www.nineplanets.org/asteroids.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid

http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnCommunity/flashbacks/fb_12.pdf

http://www.noao.edu/education/asteroids/