ASt 103 Solar System Debris

Asteroids

are relatively small, predominately rocky objects that orbit the sun

The tail of a comet always points:

away from the Sun and becomes longest and brightest at perihelion

Meteor shower debris is believed to come from:

the disintegration of a short period comet over many returns to the Sun.

Its a Planet if:

1. Orbits round the sun 2. Big enough to have its own gravity 3.It has clear its neighbor

About what percent of all asteroids are M-type asteroids?

10%

About what percent of all asteroids are S-type asteroids?

15%

Pluto was discovered in:

1930

About what percent of all asteroids are C-type asteroids?

75%

Fireballs

Craters that hit Earth and are also meteriods

Meteroid Swarm

Dust and pepple sized object intilally orbit with the parent comet

Plutoids

Icy dwarf planets beyond Neptune are now called

What is so unusual about Pluto's orbit?

It is more inclined to the ecliptic than any of the eight planets.

Which of the following is definitely NOT a dwarf planet?

Pallas

The two names most associated with the discovery of Pluto are:

Lowell and Tombaugh.

Clyde Tombaugh

Named Pluto in 1930

Long period comets are thought to reside mainly in the:

Oort Cloud.

When a formal definition of a planet in the solar system was adopted, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. What characteristic of planets does NOT describe Pluto?

Planets have cleared the neighborhood around their orbit.

Percival Lowell

Search for Pluto

Short Period Comets come from where?

The kuiper belt

What is the defining property of the Trojan asteroids?

They have orbits at the distance of Jupiter and 60 degrees ahead of or behind it.

micrometeorites

disapper along the orbit