Comets and Asteroids Assignment
Nah'Shon Walsh
What are comets?
- Comets are objects that enter the solar system while orbiting the sun.
- These structures consist of ice, dust, and the other debris from space.
- Comets were formed about 4.6 billion years ago when the solar system was created and that is why they have so much debris.
- Comets go through processes of "orbiting the sun" and "planetary orbiting". When the comet orbits the sun, it is at a great distance and is like a "dirty snowball". As the comet gets closer to the sun, it vaporizes and goes around the sun. When comets are on a planetary orbit, they travel on a path the is more like a stretched-out circle called an ellipse.
- When comets are far away they tend to look like a large asteroid. However, when the comets are visible from Earth they look like a bright spectrum or shooting star because of it's tail.
- Comets get their tail because the melt and become ice and dust as they approach the sun.
"Space Environment." What Is a Comet? N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. <http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/space-environment/1-what-is-a-comet.html>.
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
- This comet is referred to as Rosetta's target, or Rosetta's Comet 67P.
- This picture was taken, using NASA's latest software drone.
- This drone's name is Rosetta, and its job is to observe Comet 67P(which is why the comet's name is Rosetta's Comet 67P).
- Comet 67P was discovered on September 20, 1969.
"ESA Science & Technology: Rosetta's Target: Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko." ESA Science & Technology: Rosetta's Target: Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2014. <http://sci.esa.int/rosetta/14615-comet-67p/>.
Youtube Video
- Asteroids are airless, rock that are the remains from the formation of the solar system.
- Since these rocks are the remains, they are very small and sometimes considered Dwarf Planets.
- Though these asteroids are tiny, they orbit the sun and are still dangerous for anything in their path.
- Near-Earth Asteroids are asteroids that have been nudged because of other planets gravitational force and those forces allows them to enter Earth.
- One asteroid that had an affect on the world was when the Chelyabinsk Meteor hit Russia on February 15, 2013 due to a near-earth asteroid.
"Asteroids: Fun Facts and Information About Asteroids." Space.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2014. <http://www.space.com/51-asteroids-formation-discovery-and-exploration.html>.
Asteroid
"Asteroids, Meteoroids, Meteors, Meteorites, Comets." Asteroids, Meteoroids, Meteors, Meteorites, Comets. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2014. <http://www.sun.org/encyclopedia/asteroids-meteoroids-meteors-meteorites-comets>.
Meteor
"Largest Yet Chelyabinsk Meteorite Fragment Raised From Lakebed."Massive Russian Meteorite Fragment Raised From Lake. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2014. <http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1112976506/massive-russian-meteorite-fragment-raised-lakebed-101613/>.
Meteorite
"Hoba Meteorite - The Meteorite with No Crater." : Facts Hunt. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2014. <http://www.factshunt.com/2013/05/hoba-meteorite-meteorite-with-no-crater.html>.
- 4 Vesta
- 21 Lutetia
- 253 Mathidle
- 243 Ida
- 433 Eros
- 951 Gaspra
- 2867 Steins
- 25143 Itokawa
"Asteroids - Crystalinks." Asteroids - Crystalinks. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2014. <http://www.crystalinks.com/asteroids.html>.
News Article Involving an Asteroid
"NASA Project Involves Capturing Asteroids | KTRH." KTRH. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2014. <http://www.ktrh.com/articles/houston-news-121300/nasa-project-involves-capturing-asteroids-12483888/>.