Questions tagged [asteroids]
Questions regarding relatively small rocky bodies in an orbit around the Sun.
5
votes
3answers
97 views
Does any asteroid we have ever seen have a hot core like earth.?
I was wondering if any of the asteroids we have ever seen has a hot core like Earth's.
I'm thinking that Earth has a strong gravitational field and so formation would have involved a lot of ...
0
votes
1answer
39 views
At what annual rate are new exoplanets being recognized? How does it compare to new asteroids?
I just read the BBC News article Exoplanet tally set to pass 4,000 mark
. It makes me wonder about the annual rate that new exoplanets being recognized, and how it compares to the rate of new ...
5
votes
1answer
71 views
What is the closest an asteroid or comet has passed the Sun and survived?
After SOHO began watching the Sun from space with its coronagraphs 24/7 it was discovered that there are comets passing very close to the Sun quite regularly, and while some are destroyed, some are ...
-3
votes
1answer
126 views
What's the soonest Oumuamua could return? [closed]
Oumuamua is apparently a cigar-shaped asteroid that recently passed through the solar system on an unusual orbit, exhibiting unexpected acceleration.
Oumuamua is known to have fairly minimal powers ...
-2
votes
1answer
89 views
Can the Sun pull an iron asteriods in it's orbit into it? [closed]
Can our Sun's magnetic field strengthen in any way in a short period? Can the Sun pull anything trapped in close orbit around it? What would happen if an object in orbit passes over a sunspot for ...
4
votes
0answers
32 views
How can we be certain that Ryugu is a remnant of the material that did not form planets?
As mentioned here, that Ryugu is a part of the Solar System material that did not get swept into forming a planet.
But how can we be sure that it was not created later for example by an asteroid ...
3
votes
2answers
81 views
How many asteroids are named after musicians? Is there a searchable list for this?
Spot checking Wikipedia, Google and JPL's Horizions I found several musicians right away, including Lou Reed, Elvis, Freddy Mercury, and David Bowie.
Is there a way to find all of the asteroids that ...
2
votes
3answers
163 views
Do interstellar asteroids decelerate and eventually stop?
I do wonder, do interstellar asteroids eventually stop at one point in space after they gradually decelerate (or) even do they decelerate?
Though there is no air like on earth and thus asteroids ...
1
vote
1answer
91 views
What is so special about the Ultima Thule passed by New Horizon spacecraft?
I read that the New Horizon spacecraft passed by the Ultima Thule. I also got to know that it is a flat, snowman-shaped rock.
What is so special about it?
2
votes
0answers
23 views
Asteroid identification in fits image
I have a fits image, and I need to identify an asteroid. What characteristics do I look out for?
2
votes
1answer
59 views
Rendering asteroid orientation as seen from Earth
I am writing a program to render an asteroid as seen from various parts of the solar system. My goal is to roughly reproduce the image of Cacus according to information on its DAMIT detail page.
...
1
vote
1answer
41 views
Does the KBO 2014-MU69 have two numbers and entries in asteroid databases? How did it get promoted to Major Body designation?
In this answer I show that the (now pretty famous) Kuiper Belt Object 2014-MU69 has two entries in JPL's ephemeris generating Horizons site; Major Body ...
1
vote
1answer
79 views
Transform asteroid rotation to heliocentric ecliptic coordinates
I'm working with data from the DAMIT database of asteroid shape models. I'm adding them to a visualization in which the sun is at [0, 0, 0] and the X, Y axes constitute the ecliptic plane of the ...
1
vote
1answer
53 views
Do planetary magnetic fields slow the movement of conductive extraplanetary moving objects via induction?
A fixed magnetic field will induce an electrical current in a conductive object moving through the field. The strength of the eddy currents will depend on the shape and composition of the conductor ...
1
vote
1answer
62 views
Do we know if there are asteroids leading or following Earth in Earth's orbit around the Sun?
A search of the Internet is so clouded with discussions about the asteroid belt or asteroids orbiting the planet Earth that I couldn't see an answer to my question.
Do we know if there are asteroids ...
5
votes
1answer
125 views
Could stellar occultations be used to survey Kuiper belt objects?
The first hint we had as to the shape of Ultima Thule was via an occultation study using an array of small telescopes. Has anyone investigated the feasibility and effectiveness of conducting a survey ...
4
votes
1answer
75 views
How did Biden become VP? (naming of 2012 VP113)
The Carnegie Science article Solar System's Edge Redefined describes the discovery of the object 2012 VP113.
Wikipedia's article 2012 VP113 says:
Nickname:
2012 VP113 was abbreviated "VP" and ...
1
vote
2answers
109 views
How do they know how far out Farout is? (2018 VG18)
The Carnegie Science article Discovered: The Most-Distant Solar System Object Ever Observed begins:
Washington, DC— A team of astronomers has discovered the most-distant body ever observed in our ...
3
votes
1answer
55 views
Discovery of Near Earth Objects (NEO's)
Near Earth Objects (NEO's) have been mapped by NASA and JPL since 1990's. The graph below shows how many of these potential planet-killers have been found and classified over the years. I am curious ...
2
votes
1answer
105 views
What is this thin, square-ish object on asteroid Bennu? How big is it?
What could this square thing be? Roughly how big is it? From BGR's Our first up-close look at the Bennu asteroid is a messy one:
rotated, 2x zoomed, and sharpened. unscientifically:
-1
votes
1answer
51 views
A non rotating asteroid of huge mass collides with earth. After the collision, does the length of the day on earth change?
A non rotating asteroid of huge mass collides with earth.
After the collision, would the length of the day on earth increase or decrease? Why?
11
votes
1answer
126 views
Why haven't more captured small moons been found?
Shouldn't captured moons have the same size distribution as asteroids? And asteroids are more common the smaller size they are. Moons are likely captured if they are in highly inclined orbits, and ...
0
votes
1answer
81 views
Are Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) asteroids?
Are Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) asteroids?
Please, base your answer. If possible, give sources. Thanks.
3
votes
2answers
103 views
What were the odds that ʻOumuamua passed so close to the Sun?
ʻOumuamua passed its closest point at about 0.25 UA from the Sun.
Has anyone researched what the odds were that the first ever spotted interstellar object passed so close to the Sun?
Being the ...
1
vote
2answers
87 views
What would it take to capture a passing asteroid or other celestial body into Earth's orbit?
Every once in a while, we have a celestial body that passes through our solar system. What would be needed to reel one of these in? Not crashing down to Earth, that would be bad, but say into a high ...
1
vote
1answer
46 views
What exactly are the “ν6 secular Sun-Jupiter-Saturn” and the “1:4 Sun-Jupiter” resonances?
In the recent Acta Astronautica article The edge of space: Revisiting the Karman Line, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics astronomer, Space SE contributor and "inverse namesake" of asteroid (...
2
votes
2answers
64 views
Is the passage of three asteroids near Earth today just coincidental?
I just saw in the advertisement-laden tabloid Express that three near-Earth astroids will pass the Earth today:
The first of the three, dubbed Asteroid 2018 TU4, will come as close as 0.03637 ...
0
votes
1answer
61 views
What's the composition of Ceres?
Strangely, there isn't a lot of information on Ceres on the internet. I want to know the specific percentages of its composition.
Thanks in advance!
0
votes
1answer
38 views
Are there any known asteroids with average density similar to that of Earth's?
In this answer I mention that for very low orbits around spherical bodies, the period tends to scale only as the inverse square root of the density, and not the diameter.
For a low orbits where the ...
1
vote
1answer
66 views
Move asteroid away with white color?
If we find asteroid flying towards us, can we change it's direction with white painting? Will the ray from sun do something?
1
vote
1answer
110 views
What cosmic disaster is most likely to happen? [closed]
Of all the different ways that the Earth can be destroyed what ways is the most likely that could happen?
5
votes
1answer
85 views
What is an asteroid called if it is in deep space?
Pretty much every definition I've read about asteroids is something like "Asteroids are rocky worlds revolving around the sun that are too small to be called planets."
What would an asteroid be ...
3
votes
2answers
90 views
Accuracy of predicting an asteroid strike in 1987
Good People,
I am writing a short story, and I wanted to include a section wherein a family is told that an asteroid is going to strike their home. The thing is, I would like to set the story in 1987,...
2
votes
1answer
142 views
C-Type Asteroids and Carbonaceous Chondrite Meteorites
I was just wondering, what is the relationship between C-type asteroids and carbonaceous chondrite (CC) meteorites? Do CC meteorites come from C-type asteroids?
8
votes
1answer
164 views
What is the difference between the Yarkovsky effect and YORP effect?
As far as I understand, both the Yarkovsky effect and the Yarkovsky–O'Keefe–Radzievskii–Paddack (YORP) effect exert forces upon bodies as a result of thermal photon radiation. How do both effects ...
2
votes
1answer
119 views
Water Ice on Meteorites
I was reading an article by David O'Brien et al. where it stated
"in meteorites only the water bound to the silicates can be found, all the water ice having been lost, whereas on asteroids water ...
3
votes
1answer
57 views
What star was the asteroid 2014 MU69 predicted to occult on 2018-08-04?
From a search, I found a list of some preparatory HST observations made for the August 4, 2018 occultation of a star by the asteroid 2014 MU69
We propose observations in support of the upcoming New ...
4
votes
1answer
51 views
Are asteroid complexes and types the same?
Very novice astronomer here. I keep seeing terms like "S-Complex" thrown around when talking about asteroids, but no matter how much Googling I do I can't figure out what that exactly means (every ...
8
votes
1answer
118 views
Are there any natural satellites in retrograde Sun orbit?
As I watch the video of the asteroids being discovered, all I see is prograde orbits. Their prevalence is fully understandable and justified, but the Sun gets interstellar visitors occasionally and I ...
1
vote
0answers
42 views
Do we finally have a decent set of parameters of 162173 Ryugu?
"Give a man a watch and he will know the time; give him two and he will never be sure" - this was my impression when reading the Wikipedia article on 162173 Ryugu.
Mean diameter:
0.865±0....
17
votes
2answers
1k views
Whats the probability of a hazardous impact for human life on Mars?
Yesterday my sister and I have discussed the recent efforts of SpaceX to create a permanent colony on mars.
When coming to the several dangers of creating a habitat on a different planet, we got ...
2
votes
1answer
314 views
Simple mathematical models of solar systems
I’m a hobbyist programmer with a profound love for procedural content generation. I’m working on a 2D space exploration game and while it’s not meant to simulate anything real, I’d like to give it a ...
2
votes
2answers
68 views
Data on the composition and orbits of asteroids
I am interested in the composition of asteroids from the perspective of determining potential targets for mining.
I expect there already exists some data that can be used to identify reasonable ...
5
votes
1answer
116 views
Where do asteroids impact upon the Earth most often?
Where do asteroids impact upon the Earth most often?
Are impact zones primarily along the equator?
Is there an average area where impacts are more likely to occur?
If there is a zone, is there a ...
2
votes
2answers
200 views
How did astronomers determine the path of 'Oumuamua so quickly?
The interstellar asteroid 'Oumuamua was discovered on October 19, 2017. Once discovered, less than a month's worth of precovery observations were found on various sky surveys. By mid-November, ...
5
votes
1answer
79 views
Which kernel does HORIZONS get the Geometric Albedo from?
I am new to using SPICE and the SPICE Toolkit. My goal is to extract body radius, albedo, and distance from the sun of a number of solar system objects. The tools provided by NAIF are great and I ...
1
vote
1answer
109 views
Good source for the relationship between absolute magnitude, diameter, and albedo?
In this answer I have rearranged an equation from somewhere, and now I can not relocate the source. My re-aranged form is:
$$M_{Abs} = 5 \left(\log_{10}(1329) -\frac{1}{2}\log_{10}(\text{albedo}) -\...
1
vote
2answers
92 views
How is IR spectroscopy used to determine the composition of asteroids?
I am trying to understand how spectrometers or spectroscopy can be used to calculate the surface composition of asteroids for the purposes of asteroid mining.
0
votes
2answers
108 views
Are we really seeing the asteroids from the past?
Is it actually relevant to study objects that are light years far? Because in theories we are actually seeing the past as the light takes years to reach us.
Lets say we are studying a asteroid that ...
18
votes
3answers
3k views
Why did the distribution of asteroids discovered in 2010 have a radial modulation?
This answer links to one of Scott Manley's excellent asteroid videos Asteroid Discovery - 1970-2015 - 8K resolution. The animation highlights the positions of the meteors at the moment of their ...
