Gourt > Science > Astronomy > Solar System > Asteroids, Comets and Meteors (12)
- "Asteroids" redirects here. This article is about the astronomical bodies. For the arcade game, see Asteroids (game).
An asteroid is a predominantly rocky body that orbits around its star. In our solar system, asteroids are the best known class of minor planet (or planetoid). They are much smaller than even the small major planets such as Mercury or Mars. The vast majority of the asteroids are found within the main asteroid belt, with elliptical orbits between those of Mars and Jupiter. It is thought that asteroids are remnants of the protoplanetary disc, and in this region the incorporation of protoplanetary remnants into the planets was prevented by large gravitational perturbations induced by Jupiter during the formative period of the solar system. Some asteroids have moons.
Asteroids in the solar system
Hundreds of thousands of asteroids have been discovered within the solar system and the present rate of discovery is about 5000 per month. As of April 14, 2006, from a total of 330,795 registered minor planets, 129,436 have orbits known well enough to be given permanent official numbers. Of these, 13,040 have official names (trivia: at least 610 of these names require diacritics). The lowest-numbered but unnamed minor planet is (3360) 1981 VA; the highest-numbered named minor planet is 129342 Épendes . More on [ Asteroid ]
@NotMishaCollins Cool!!! Do you get to see many stars, and planets, and asteroids, and meteors, perhaps comets?
bearhugs4cas (Polaris) Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:40:52 -0000
@NotMishaCollins Cool!!! Do you get to see many stars, and planets, and asteroids, and meteors, perhaps comets?
I officially dislike comets..and asteroids..and meteors......and UFOS! BAHHAHHAHHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!:P
musicgeekhehe (michelle) Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:25:41 -0000
I officially dislike comets..and asteroids..and meteors......and UFOS! BAHHAHHAHHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!:P
Asteroid/Comet Connection - A digest of news related to asteroids, comets, and meteors. Monitors changes in impact risk calculations. Includes links to original sources of information.
Aerospaceguide.net: Near Earth Asteroid - Descriptions of asteroids, comets, and near Earth objects.
Meta Description: [ Read about Near Earth Asteroid and Near Earth Object and other info on the planets. ]
Asteroids - their history - Introduction paper on asteroids and Kuiper Belt objects.
Asteroids and Comets - Data from across NASA, compiled at the National Space Science Data Center.
Meta Description: [ NSSDC Lunar & Planetary Science: Asteroids Page ]
Asteroids Comets Meteors (ACM) - A meeting bringing together scientists studying small solar system bodies. Dates and links of past meetings.
Asteroids, Comets, and Meteorites: Their Intimate Relation with Life on Earth - A curriculum prepared by the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute.
Astrobiology Magazine: Meteors, Comets, and Asteroids - Selected articles, usually with some connection to life on Earth or elsewhere in the solar system.
Meta Description: [ Astrobiology is study of earth science evolution distribution Origin of life in universe terrestrial ]
BBC NEWS: Astronomers Discover 'New Planet' - A telescope has detected what could be the Solar System's 10th planet, Sedna.
Meta Description: [ A new space telescope has detected what could be the Solar System's 10th planet, named Sedna. ]
Chiron Information and Documentation - A minor body with dual status as both asteroid and comet.
Comets and Meteor Showers - Includes news, information, professional and amateur observations as well as historical research. Compiled by Gary W. Kronk.
Committee on Small Body Nomenclature - Group responsible for the naming of asteroids and comets. Description of the naming process, guidelines for submitting name proposals.
Keeping an Eye on Space Rocks - Overview of asteroids, comets, and meteors, with special attention to the impact hazard to Earth.
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Meteorica - Catalog of names associated with small body impacts. Meteors, meteorites, craters, impact structures, and tektites, both on Earth and elsewhere in the solar system.
Meteorites and Asteroids - Companion resource to an astronomy textbook, contains links and current news about meteorites and asteroids.
Meteors - Information on meteors and their observation. Includes online purchasing of stone chondrite and iron meteorites.
Minor Planet Center - International clearing house for observations of asteroids and comets.
Meta Description: [ We are the official body that deals
with astrometric observations and orbits of minor planets (asteroids) and
comets. ]
NASA Planetary Photojournal: Asteroid and Comets - Selected NASA images.
Nine Planets: Sedna - General information on the object officially known as 2003 VB12. This object is the most distant body known that orbits our Sun.
NOVA Online: Doomsday Asteroid - Transcript of the television broadcast, kitchen comet activity, general information on comets.
Meta Description: [ NOVA Online provides information and recently-acquired imagery of Venus and the just-discovered Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp comets. ]
Orbits - Interactive 3D orbit visualization for known asteroids and comets.
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Peter G. Brown - Research in fireballs, meteorite falls, and near Earth objects.
Planetary Data System: Small Bodies Node - Data concerning asteroids and comets, in a standard format for use primarily by astronomical observers and mission planners, as well as educators and students.
Small Bodies - Link collection covering the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud, asteroids, comets, meteors and meteorites, near Earth objects, and impacts.
Meta Description: [ Part of The Telson Spur, this page is a list of links to on-line resources related to the study of small bodies (asteroids, comets, meteors and meteorites). ]
Startdate Online: Leftovers - Fact sheets on asteroids and comets, index to radio broadcasts on related topics. From the McDonald Observatory.
The Nine Planets: Small Bodies in the Solar System - Overview of asteroids, comets, meteors. Images, data, links.
The Physics of: Asteroids, Comets and Meteoroids - Physics of asteroids, comets and meteoroids. Application with Newton's and Kepler's Laws, kinetic and potential energy.
Meta Description: [ Information on the physics of space objects: asteroids, comets and meteoroids ]
USGS Astrogeology: Other Objects - Official names of features on asteroids as approved by the International Astronomical Union. Data and images for selected asteroids and comets.
Meta Description: [ Links to web pages about Other Objects in the Solar System on the Astrogeology Research Program web sites ]
Welcome to the Planets: Small Bodies - Asteroids Ida and Dactyl, Comets Shoemaker-Levy 9 and Halley, representative meteorites.
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