Asteroids
physical properties, location, & movement
The Asteroid Belt
- Most asteroids today lie in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter.
- Sometimes, asteroids can be slowed and switch direction.
- When one asteroid runs into another on the belt, the asteroids will break into many pieces.
- 19,400,000 miles wide
What Is An Asteroid Made Of?
- Asteroids closer to sun: carbon
- Asteroids farther away from the sun: silicate rock
- Metallic asteroids: 80% iron and a mixture of 20% nickel, iridium, palladium, platinum, gold, and other precious metals
How Asteroids Move
- Asteroids move basically because of gravity.
- Asteroids move in the asteroid belt.
- Sometimes they stray out of asteroid belt and get pulled into other planets, some people even believe the two moons in mars (Phobos and Deimos) are captured asteroids.
- http://www.space.com/20601-animation-of-proposed-asteroid-retrieval-mission-video.html video on proposed plan to catch asteroids heading towards earth
- Even after 5 billion years, the population of asteroids is the same because they run into each other and create more asteroids.
- Video on asteroid coming very close to Earth http://www.space.com/24947-asteroid-flyby-2014ec-watch-live.html
Physical Properties
- Asteroids are mainly are sized from a few meters wide to about 590 miles wide.
- The largest asteroid is Ceres which is about 590 miles wide.
- The smallest asteroid, 1991 BA is only about 20 feet wide.
- Asteroids color varies based on type.
- C- greyish
- S- green/red
- M- red
- Most irregularly shaped (Ceres is almost round) and have craters.
- Average temp: -100 degrees F
- Video with close up images and asteroids http://science.howstuffworks.com/4956-the-planets-asteroids-video.htm