0
Asteroids
Asteroids, or planetoids, are rocks larger than meteorites but smaller than planets that orbit around the Sun.
1,071 Questions
What is the temperature in the core of the asteroid?
The temperature on a comet will vary by its position in its orbit. The part exposed to direct sunlight can easily reach 100°C or higher when close to the Sun. When a comet is at its farthest from the Sun, its temperature falls to as low as 4 K (-269°C), the effective temperature of outer space.
The temperature on a comet near Earth's orbit was measured by a NASA probe. The surface temperature on the Sun side was up to 50°C (122°F), while the side facing away was still -30°C to -80°C, indicating that the heat there had re-radiated into space, or been lost in the release of gas and dust. When the comet Ikeya-Seki curved around the sun last October, many astargazer's camera was focused on its fiery trail. But two California Institute of Technology researchers were deter mined to record far more than mere surface glow. And the Astrophysical Journal last week reported remarkable success. Eric Becklin, a graduate student in physics, and James Westphal, a senior research fellow in planetary science, not only obtained the first temperature measurements ever made of a comet, they also gained valuable insight into a comet's composition and behavior.
After fitting a 24-inch telescope with a sensitive infra-red detector, the Caltech scientists trained it on the comet for 19 days during its passage around the sun. Their first temperature measurement-700° F.-was made when Ikeya-Seki came within 45 million miles of the sun and heated up enough for its infra-red emissions to be picked up on earth. As the comet raced closer to the sun, its temperature climbed gradually, reaching 1,200° F. about 20 million miles from the solar surface. Then the comet's emissions were blotted out by the sun's own fierce radiation. On the return leg of its journey, Ikeya-Seki displayed identical temperature variations, dropping from 1,200° F. at 20 million miles to 700° F. at 45 million miles.
How many asteroids in the kuiper belt?
It is estimated that there are between hundreds of thousands to more than 100,000 asteroids in the Kuiper Belt. The Kuiper Belt is a region in our solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune, composed mainly of icy objects and dwarf planets.
How asteroids impacts effect humans?
v People would have no homes and no belongings
v They would need clothing, food and shelter
v Many might be injured
v It would cause riots from people trying to salvage things
v Law enforcement would suffer
v People will most likely be united to survive
v Some people will be greedy
v There would be an even larger pecking order
v People will become more self-reliant and independent
v The weaker will be killed off
What is difference between asteroids and meteoroids?
Asteroids are rocky objects that orbit around the Sun, mostly found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Meteoroids are smaller rocky or metallic objects that also orbit around the Sun but are much smaller than asteroids. When a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere, it burns up and creates a streak of light known as a meteor.
What layer of the atmosphere to meteors burn up in?
Meteors typically burn up in the mesosphere layer of the atmosphere, which is located between the stratosphere and thermosphere. This region is where most meteors vaporize due to the friction created by the high-speed entry through the Earth's atmosphere.
How long does it take for the asteroid belt to make a complete orbit around the sun?
This is not a scientific answer (corrections welcome) but based on the location of the Asteroid belt, the length of the Martian year and the length of the Jovian year, I would surmise that it takes the asteroid belt about 7earth years to orbit the sun. But don't quote me!
asteroids are in space. in our solar system they are located in the asteroid belt. this a location roughly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
Asteroids can have a wide range of temperatures depending on their distance from the sun and surface composition. On average, most asteroids have temperatures that range from -100°C to 100°C (-148°F to 212°F). However, some asteroids can reach much higher temperatures if they are closer to the sun or have dark surfaces that absorb more sunlight.
Could asteroids destroy the earth?
any time you have a large chunk of rock floating around a collision would be ugly. luckily most asteriods are trapped in the asteroid belt. meteors are debris coming in contact with the atmosphere. such heat is involved from friction that even marble sized meteors give quite the light show. it would take a huge one to break through the atmosphere to make contact with the earth's surface
What planets is the ateroid belt between'?
Most of the asteroids within our solar system can be found within the Asteroid Belt. Located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, the Asteroid Belt consists of millions of individual asteroids of varying sizes - from a speck of dust to hundreds of kilometers in diameter. The largest object within the belt is a dwarf planet - Ceres - which has a mass of 9.47x1020kg and a diameter of 476.2km.
How could an impact of a meteorite lead to a mass extinction?
As the asteroid enters the atmosphere, most of the asteroid burns up, super heating the hunk o' rock, so that when it comes in contact with the surface, it drastically changes the climate of the surface, something not many animals can survive. Even if they survive, the smoke will kill most of the survivors anyway. But, most of the aquatic animals will survive.
How can an asteroid attract another asteroid?
An asteroid can attract another asteroid through gravitational forces. Just like any two objects with mass, asteroids exert a gravitational pull on each other, causing them to be attracted to one another. The strength of this gravitational attraction depends on the masses of the asteroids and the distance between them.
What is the average speed of an asteroid?
The asteroid belt [See Link] is the region of the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter.
Contrary to popular belief (helped by Hollywood and computer game manufacturers), the asteroid belt is mostly empty. The asteroids are spread over such a large area that it would be highly improbable to reach an asteroid without careful aiming.
The asteroid belt includes the dwarf planet Ceres [See Link].
It's impossible to give a precise distance, as the belt starts around the orbit of Mars [See Link] and continues up to Jupiter's. However the centre of the belt is approximately 2.7 AU (404 million km (251 million miles)) from the Sun.
Which two planets is the asteroid belt located in between?
Most of the asteroids within our solar system can be found within the Asteroid Belt. Located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, the Asteroid Belt consists of millions of individual asteroids of varying sizes - from a speck of dust to hundreds of kilometers in diameter. The largest object within the belt is a dwarf planet - Ceres - which has a mass of 9.47x1020kg and a diameter of 476.2km.
What effect will a 65ft diameter asteroid have on earth if it does hit the earth?
It will create a crater similar to the Barringer crater (Meteor crater).
Where it actually hits will determine the overall destructive effect.
- Oceans: Tsunami
- Cities: Total destruction.
- Barren land: Crater.
Will an asteroid hit earth in 2026?
Possibly; that's still 15 years in the future. At this point (in August, 2011) we have no knowledge of any particular asteroid that's heading this way.
However, the last time that an asteroid hit the Earth (in 2008) we first saw it about 16 HOURS before impact. This was a fantastic achievement, because scientists had NEVER seen an asteroid or meteoroid before impact before.
What countries are hit by asteroid?
Asteroids can potentially impact any country on Earth as they do not discriminate based on location. NASA and other space agencies constantly monitor near-Earth objects to assess potential impact risks and take necessary precautions to mitigate any threats.
Do asteroid and steroid have the same etymology?
Yes and no. They both derive from an Indo-European root ster-, but there seem to be three entirely different such roots. The first ster- means stiff or hard, and is the root of steroid. Ster- 2 means spread, and is the root of strew and straw. Ster-3 means star and is the root of star and asteroid.
What is the biggest asteroid ever recorded?
The solar system's biggest asteroid impact occured between July16 and 22 1994. More then 20 fragments of comet shoemaker-levy 9 collided with Jupiter. The 20 fragments left big bruises in the atmosphere.
Are globular clusters small asteroid-like bodies that formed the building blocks of the planets?
No, globular clusters are large groups of stars that formed together at the same time. They are much larger and contain thousands to millions of stars, unlike small asteroids, and were not the building blocks of planets.
What is an asteroid if it leaves its orbit?
An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the sun; if it leaves its orbit, it can potentially enter the Earth's atmosphere, becoming a meteor and potentially hitting the Earth's surface as a meteorite.
What is the most important defining property of Trojan asteroids?
Trojan asteroids are a group of asteroids that share the same orbit as a larger planet, located at stable Lagrange points ahead of or behind the planet. This unique orbital configuration is the most important defining property of Trojan asteroids.
Does a asteroid appear as a streak in the sky?
Yes, when an asteroid enters Earth's atmosphere and impacts the surface, it can create a streak of light known as a meteor. This occurs due to the asteroid burning up as it meets resistance from the atmosphere, causing it to produce a bright trail through the sky.
Is a comet smaller than asteroid?
An asteroid is basically a rock in space.
A meteor is basically a space rock falling into our atmosphere.
Therefore, meteors are asteroids that are falling into our atmosphere, there is no size comparison, only a location and action change.
What substances are in an asteroid?
Asteroids can be composed of various substances, including rock, metal, and sometimes ice. Some common elements found in asteroids include iron, nickel, silicate minerals, carbon, and water. The composition of an asteroid can vary depending on its location and history in the solar system.
