Asteroids

1
Asteroids
2
Bodes Law
3
The Discovery of Asteroids
In the year 1800, Giusseppe Piazzi and a number
of other European astronomers formed the
Celestial Police to look out for the missing
planet between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
In the year 1801, Piazzi discovered Ceres, the
first asteroid. In 1802, the group discovered
Pallas, Juno and Vesta. All of these objects lie
near to the gap in Bodes Law.
Giusseppe Piazzi
4
Now about 30,000 asteroids have been discovered,
10,000 with well defined orbits. Most asteroids
are now discovered photographically.
5
Discovery Image of Asteroid 2000 NM
6
Most Asteroids are found in the Main Asteroid
Belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
7
Plot of the position of all known asteroids in
the inner solar system. Green Main
belt asteroids. Red Earth cross- ing
asteroids Blue (small) Trojan asteroids
8
The Distribution of Asteroids. The so-called
Kirkwood Gaps are due to resonance effects with
the orbit of Jupiter.
9
Near Earth asteroids come in three varieties
Apollo asteroids with fairly eccentric orbits
with perihelia within the orbit of the Earth,
Amor asteroids with perihelia between the orbits
of Earth and Mars, and Aten asteroids with
roughly circular orbits mostly within the orbit
of the Earth.
10
Discovery Photos of Near-Earth Asteroid 1996 JA1
11
1993 KA2, a very close call!
12
The 2029 approach of Apophis
There is about one chance in 50,000 that this
asteroid will hit the earth on its next
close encounter after 2029, Friday, April 13,
2036.
13
Trojan asteroids are found at the L4 and
L5 stable Lagrangian points on the orbit of
Jupiter
14
Gaspra
15
Ida and Dactyl
16
Mathilde
Vesta
17
Ceres
Kleopatra
18
Binary Asteroids
19
On Feb 14, 2000 the NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid
Rendevous) Spacecraft went into orbit around the
asteroid Eros. It remained in orbit for one
year, and then attempted to soft land on the
surface.
20
Eros The Movie
21
Eros Flyover
22
Final Eros descent pictures
23
Hayabusa spacecraft in vicinity of Itokawa
asteriod
24
Extra Slides
25
3753 Cruithne, A near-Earth Asteroid in an
unusual orbit