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Asteroids

AsteroidsAsteroids are simply chunks of rock and metal that orbit the sun in the same way that planets orbit. They come in all sizes and shapes. Some are as big as boulders, some are as big as mountains, and some are as big as the moons that orbit many of the planets. They can be globe-shaped or pear-shaped or have strange irregular shapes like any other big rock. Their shapes often change as they smash into each other as they orbit. The smaller bits and pieces that break off asteroids are called meteoroids.

Astronomers used to think that asteroids came from a planet that may have existed between Mars and Jupiter. They thought that perhaps this planet had exploded. This would explain why some asteroids are composed of all rock, some are all metal, and some are rock and metal mixed--the same compositions that would have made up the mantle, core, and crust of the alleged planet. Most astronomers today, however, think that asteroids are leftover material from when the solar system was formed.

StarChild : Asteroids

  1. What other names also refer to asteroids?
  2. How do scientists think that Mars got 2 of its satellites or moons?
  3. According to this site, how does Jupiter's large size and strong gravitational pull benefit other planets?

 

Astronomy for Kids : Asteroids

  1. Between which 2 planets do many asteroids orbit? This area is called the asteroid belt.
  2. Some asteroids are very large! Surprisingly, what do some asteroids have orbiting around them?

 

Asteroids: Zoom Astronomy

  1. Name the largest known asteroid.
  2. Is there an asteroid that can be seen without a telescope? If so, which one?
  3. How many know asteroids are there that are larger than 200 kilometers across (? miles)?

 

Asteroids

  1. What are the 3 types of asteroids and what is the composition of each of them?
  2. Asteroids can also be classified by their position in the solar system. What are the 4 categories for this classification system?

 

Views of the Solar System: Asteroids

  1. What are asteroids that are on a collision course for earth called?
  2. Beginning in 1991 and 1993, how did astronomers gain new knowledge about asteroids?

 

Ida and Dactyl

Some asteroids are so large or have been studied enough that they have been given names. Information about the asteroid, Ida, was gathered by the spacecraft Galileo in 1993 when it was on its way to gather information about Jupiter. If you look at the pictures of Ida on this website, it kind of looks like a great big potato.

  1. When the images taken by the Galileo spacecraft were transmitted to earth, astronomers discovered Dactyl. What is Dactyl? How do scientists think that Dactyl was formed?
  2. Scroll down the page and click on "Ida in rotation" to see an animation of images of Ida.
  3. Scroll down to the 3rd image "Ida and Dactyl" to see the size and distance relationship between these two asteroids.

 

Asteroids

  1. What is NEAR and what is its purpose?

 

Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards

  1. The danger from the earth being hit by a large asteroid is not just from the impact alone but also from the amount of dust that would be thrown into the earth's stratosphere. What effect would all this dust have on the earth?

 

Asteroids

  1. This is a list of the top 179 PHAs. What does PHA stand for?

 

PHA Close Approaches To The Earth

  1. In what year will the asteroid named Pan have a close encounter with earth?

 

NASA Space Calendar

  1. Find the current month. Scroll down through the astronomical events for this month. Is there any asteroids that are having their closest approaches to earth?

 

Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking Home Page

Did you see the movie Armageddon? This site keeps you informed about any space objects speeding toward the earth.

  1. Is there anything currently speeding towards the earth?
  2. How many objects were threatening to have an encounter with the earth in 2006?

 

Teacher Resources

National Geographics Asteroids Deadly Impact - Students can learn play this online game AND learn about asteroids along the way.

Nova Online : Doomsday Asteroids - From the main page, you can find a transcript of the television broadcast as well as a teacher's guide.

An Astronomy Class for Students Using the Internet - Good background material in many space-related areas that could be adapted for different grade levels.

Image is copyrighted by ArtToday. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Author: LINDA MOSBACKER - Email linda.mosbacker@slc.k12.ut.us