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Asteroids
Asteroids, or planetoids, are rocks larger than meteorites but smaller than planets that orbit around the Sun.
1,071 Questions
Do comets asteroids and meteors have an atmosphere?
No. They do not have enough gravity to hold on to the gasses.
Asteroids are rocky objects that orbit the Sun in the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter. Some asteroids can also be found in other regions of the solar system, such as near Earth or in the outer solar system.
What was the effect of the largest meteorite that fell to the earth?
A meteor crater was made. It was a hole about a mile across and 600 feet deep.
How long before the metor as big as Texas will hit earth?
There are no known asteroids the size of Texas that have even the slightest chance of hitting Earth. The only known Texas-sized asteroid is Ceres, which has a stable orbit in the asteroid belt and could never hit Earth.
Are there alien germs and bacteria on meteors and asteroids?
Probably not. Earth is the only known object in the universe to support life. Asteroids do not have the right resources or conditions to support life and most have been floating in the vacuum of space of billions of years. So even if some alien microbial life had attached itself at some point, it would not be alive today.
When did the first asteroid hit the earth?
There is no way of knowing as in might of fallen in the dinosaur age and it was not recorded
Is it true that asteroids never actually collide with planetary bodies?
No, it is not true. They do hit planets sometimes.
When were comets and meteors formed?
Comets and meteors were formed, along with the rest of the solar system, about four and a half billion years ago.
What was the alvarez asteroid theory?
The Alvarez hypothesis proposes that the mass extinction of dinosaurs was caused by a large asteroid impact on Earth. The impact released massive amounts of debris and dust into the atmosphere, blocking sunlight and leading to a drastic cooling effect that disrupted the global climate. This theory is widely accepted as a major factor in the extinction event that occurred about 66 million years ago.
Why would scientists want to know if an asteroid is on a course to collide with earth in 20 years?
If an asteroid were to hit Earth, it could do HUGE damage. It was the changes to Earth after an asteroid hit that killed off the dinosaurs. But if we knew about an asteroid heading our way long enough ahead of time, maybe we could change it's course enough to make it miss, and save millions of lives.
Why do some asteroids tumble end over end through space while others rotate around their axis?
Asteroids are practically all in orbits around the Sun, between the orbits of the planets. There is a large main belt between Mars and Jupiter, and more farther out past Neptune.
Spin and wobble of asteroids is caused partly by impacts with other small bodies, and by the gravitational influence of the major planets. Likewise, one of the few things that will stop a spin once it starts would be tidal interaction with planets and moons. This also tends to establish orbital resonance with relatively nearby objects.
Is it true a asteroid can be as big as sand grains?
There are sand-sized rock fragments in the solar system, but when they get to that size they are not considered asteroids. They are called meteoroids.
What happens when an asteroid gets close to earth?
We keep an eye on it and hope that it will miss us. Apart from that, there isn't much that we can do. Despite what is seen in various science-fiction films, there is no way we can divert or destroy an asteroid big enough to cause mass destruction with our current technology. All the space shuttles that could be used for such a task have been decomissioned and NASA deleted the blueprints for them in a 'spring-clean.' Even if we could deliver nuclear devices, their potency is very limited in space and rock is incredibly hard to break apart in the quantities found in threatening asteroids. Fortunately, Earth is a very small planet and the universe is a very big place, so the chances of being hit by an asteroid are miniscule.
Would a nuclear bomb stop an asteroid?
Detonating a nuclear bomb on an asteroid could potentially help deflect or disrupt its path, but success would depend on factors like the size of the asteroid, the timing of the explosion, and the asteroid's composition. However, there are other less destructive methods, such as using a spacecraft to alter the asteroid's trajectory, that are currently being researched for planetary defense purposes.
What are the characteristics of comets and meteoroids?
Comets are dusty pieces of ice and rock that partially vaporize when they pass near the sun. Meteoroids are pieces of rock, usually less than a few hundred meters in size, that travel through the solar system.
Why is Asteroid 5272 Dickinson so named?
Named after Terence Dickinson of Toronto, Canada who discovered the asteroid in August 1981
What is the Mass of asteroid 400 meters across?
That will depend on the exact shape, and the material it is made of.You can get an estimate, by assuming a spherical shape, calculating the volume, and multiplying that by some density (for example, the density of water). The actual mass may be a bit more than that if its a rocky asteroid; a bit less if it's ice, for instance.
What is a Near-earth-asteroid?
Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) are comets and asteroids that have been nudged by the gravitational attraction of nearby planets into orbits that allow them to enter the Earth's neighborhood. Composed mostly of water ice with embedded dust particles
What is the name of the comet that wiped out dinosaurs?
Scientists usually refer to this as an asteroid, not a comet. It's the asteroid that caused the Chicxulub crater.
What advantages do comets asteroids and comets have-?
An advantage of mining asteroids is that the asteroidal metals and minerals are concentrated in a small, easily accessible space and they are much purer in content.
Where is the Belt Museum in Belt Montana located?
The address of the Belt Museum is: 37 Castner St, Belt, MT 59412
