Asteroids

Most asteroids are located where in the solar system and approximately how many are there believed to be there? (4)

most asteroids are found on the asteroid belt

2. What are most asteroids made of? (2)

Most asteroids are made of carbon-based rock, though others are made from either iron and nickel or silica compounds

3. What is the name of the largest asteroid? (2)

Ceres

4. What are the concentric gaps in the asteroid belt called? (2)

Kirkwood gaps

5. Do any of the asteroids have an orbiting moon? If yes, what are they called? (2)
no

6. What is another name for asteroids? (2)

Asteroids are also known as planetoids or minor planets.

7. What is an asteroid belt? (2)

The asteroid belt is a doughnut-shaped collection of asteroids orbiting the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter

8. Which planet pulls the asteroid belt away from the sun and how does this happen? (2)

Jupiter due to its strong gravitational pull

9. What are Kirkwood gaps? (2)

the gaps in the asteroid belt caused by the gravitational pull of jupiter


Part 2:

Write a detailed account as if from your own eyes of the first sighting of an asteroid and an asteroid belt. A little research may be needed in order to describe what you see, hear, feel and anything else.
Word count 200-300

As I grew nearer to the asteroid, I felt glad of myself being safely inside my spacecraft. The jagged edges of the asteroid looked as though they could tear right through me – I just hoped the re-enforced metal on the spacecraft was enough to keep me safe. I didn’t like the thought of being sucked into space and being cut into a thousand pieces by this huge asteroid.
I was rather surprised at how it looked, as from earth, all I could see was what looked like a faint star, but up close like this, I noticed it was more like a giant pitted rock which was rotating alarmingly. As I steered the ship around the asteroid, I noticed that it was mainly dark grey in colour with darker grey spots which appeared like small craters, possibly due to a collision with the many other asteroids in the asteroid belt.
I watched its rotation for about an hour before I became dizzy. The readings upon our space craft could tell that the gravitational pull of Jupiter was keeping both the asteroid and us away from the planets, though now it was time for us to break free. Turning on the acceleration, we shot from Jupiters pull and away from the asteroid, which looked more and more like a star the further we went away from it.


Bonus:

Post a picture of an asteroid or the asteroid belt and write a short caption for it


The asteroid belt comprises of thousands of asteroids kept at bay by the gravitational pull of jupiter


SOURCES
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikijunior_Solar_System/Asteroid_belt
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/asteroids/
http://www.calvin.edu/academic/phys/observatory/images/asteroid/

Part1: 1. Most asteroids are located where in the solar system and approximately how many are there believed to be there? (4) Most asteriods are in the astorid belt and between Mars and Jupiter. There are somewhere between 1.1 & 1.9 million astorids.

2. What are most asteroids made of? (2) Rocks and other things left from the creation of the solar system

3. What is the name of the largest asteroid? (2)Ceres

4. What are the concentric gaps in the asteroid belt called? (2)Kirkwood gaps

5. Do any of the asteroids have an orbiting moon? If yes, what are they called? (2) Yes, and its called Dactyl

6. What is another name for asteroids? (2) minor planets

7. What is an asteroid belt? (2) The place in our solar system where most of the astroids are.

8. Which planet pulls the asteroid belt away from the sun and how does this happen? (2) Jupiter, and gravity makes it happen

9. What are Kirkwood gaps? (2) The gaps in the asteriod belt

Bouns:
Asterids are most found in the asterid belt
Sorces:
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_kids/AskKids/asteroid_impact.shtml
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/asteroid-02c.html
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/asteroid.htm
http://www.sadgeezer.com/RedDwarf/epis6-01.htm
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/asteroidfact.html
www.astro.utoronto.ca/~bolton/sci199y/asteroids/text2.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/eugenia_moon991006.html
http://www.nofs.navy.mil/festsci/tutorial.html

Part 1

1. Most asteroids are located where in the solar system and approximately how many are there believed to be there? (4)

Most asteroids are in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. There could be millions of asteroids in the main belt; tens of thousands are known now to be there.

2. What are most asteroids made of? (2)

Most asteroids are remnants of the protoplanetary disk. They fall into 3 groups, made up of carbon silicates, stony silicates and iron, or metals.

3. What is the name of the largest asteroid? (2)

The largest asteroid in our solar system is 1 Ceres.

4. What are the concentric gaps in the asteroid belt called? (2)

The concentric gaps are Kirkwood gaps.

5. Do any of the asteroids have an orbiting moon? If yes, what are they called? (2)

Yes. They are usually called binary asteroids because they are two asteroids that orbit a center of gravity.

6. What is another name for asteroids? (2)

Asteroids are also known as minor planets.

7. What is an asteroid belt? (2)

An asteroid belt is any orbit consistong of many asteroids. The main belt is the biggest in our solar system.

8. Which planet pulls the asteroid belt away from the sun and how does this happen? (2)

Jupiter's gravity pulls the asteroids away from the sun.

9. What are Kirkwood gaps? (2)

Kirkwood gaps are gaps in the main asteroid belt caused by the influence of Jupiter's gravity.


Part 2:

January 1, 1801
From the Journal of Giuseppe Piazzi
-------------------------------------------

Tonight I observed the constellation Taurus, in accordance with continuing my zodiac investigations for the catalogue. My notes are as follows.

I was looking through my telescope at the observatory and noting the positions of the stars in the Taurus family. Then I noted a body not catalogued already. I cleaned my lens, mostly out of disbelief because Johann maintains those lenses quite admirably. However, I did not want any observations mistaken as a result of such a careless error. I was amazed! It was a new star, or some other astronomical body. Imagine the significance of this event. Of course I must write to the Astronomical Society. I shall wait, however, until I can take measurements again. I would not wish my work to be less accurate than possible, just to announce a discovery. I think I shall take measurements over the course of a month or so before I write to my fellow astronomers. That should give me ample time to gain some understanding as to what this object is. It does not glow like a star. I might say it is a comet, but I think it may be a small planet! Imagine the stir that would cause. I think it would be best to call it a comet for now, at least until I know more about it.

Bonus:


The Asteroid Ida and its moon, Dactyl. From Wikipedia.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroids
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_belt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkwood_gap
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_moon
http://www.astropa.unipa.it/versione_inglese/Hystory/BODE'S_LAW.htm#8a

Part 1

1. Most asteroids can be found on the asteroid belt between mars and jupiter and there is approximately 1.9million, though no one really knows exactly how many there are.

2. Carbon-based rock

3. Ceres

4. Kirkwood gaps

5. Yes, the name I have found is binary asteroids

6. Minor planets

7. Where most of the asteroids in our solar system can be found

8. The gravitational force of Jupiter

9. Gaps in the asteroid belt between the many asteroids

Part 2:

London, January 1st

I celebrate this date as this was the first time i set eyes upon an asteroid, and this is how it came about.
I couldnt sleep so took to my rooftop to meet with my new birthday telescope, an extremely powerful one. After setting it up, I put my eye to the scope and couldnt believe my eyes. An asteroid seemed to be hurtling towards the earth, yes it was stillvery far away, yet it was apparent - it was coming towards us, and I feared that it would destroy us if it didnt change course. It looked like one, crator filled jagged rock, with tiny rocks hurtling around it, all appearing of a light grey colour wih deeper grey colourings as the light of the moon hit its surface.
As I continued to watc, I noticed it come through into our atmosphere, though I was frozen to the spot. Suddenly, it seemed as though the atmosphere beat this asteroid, as it burst, rocks and flames firing everywhere. The forest near my house burnt through the night, people were terrified it would happen again, but for me, that date will stay in my memory forever.

Bonus:

Post a picture of an asteroid or the asteroid belt and write a short caption for it


The asteroid belt is a 'belt' of rocky bodies between Mars and Jupiter that is centered around 2.7AU. The total mass of the Main Asteroid Belt may be less than 1/1000 of the mass of Earth. If all the asteroids were combined together, their diameter would be about 1,300-1,500 kilometers across, less than 1/2 the diameter of the Moon.

sources:

http://www.solarviews.com/eng/asteroid.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroids
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_belt
http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/KirkwoodGaps.html

1. Most asteroids are located where in the solar system and approximately how many are there believed to be there? (4)
asteroid belt less then 2 million, unknown exactly how many
2. What are most asteroids made of? (2)
carbon, silicon, and metallic substances
3. What is the name of the largest asteroid? (2)
Ceres
4. What are the concentric gaps in the asteroid belt called? (2)
Kirkwood gaps
5. Do any of the asteroids have an orbiting moon? If yes, what are they called? (2)
yes binary asteroids
6. What is another name for asteroids? (2)
minor planets
7. What is an asteroid belt? (2)
This is the area where the most ateroids are gathered. the largest in the universe so far
8. Which planet pulls the asteroid belt away from the sun and how does this happen? (2)
Jupiter's orbit gravitaional pulls the asteroids in space away from the sun.
9. What are Kirkwood gaps? (2)
They are gaps in the asteroid belt.
Part 2:
June 3, 2000
I saw it. I finally saw it! My brother thinks he's so cool because he went to space camp and could name everything in space. When I commented that he may have READ everything but I would experience it. He claimed only after I saw a flying asteroid. So that is why I've been sitting here every night for the past month so I could prove him wrong. But that's not the point. The point is that I saw it for the first time today. I still remember exactly how it felt. My eyes were starting to fade shut as it reached 2 in the morning. My mom had long given up on trying to get me to sleep. The stars started to fade from my mind when suddenly there it was! At first it seemed like a shooting star yet as thought just for me, it started to fly awcross the sky in slow motion. I hear a slight roaring in my head and the asteroid slight whistle like noise. The deep red and orange pinpoint faded across the sky. contrasting toward the other plain white stars in the background. I knew I would remember that moment forever. To bad my stupid brother wouldn't believe me. The closest he's every been to a flying asteroid is my shoe flying at him.

Bonus:


Watch out! It's coming! An asteroid being pulled away from the sun by Jupitar's gravitational pull.
Source - Yahoo images and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroidsasteroid belt

1. Most asteroids are located where in the solar system and approximately how many are there believed to be there? Most asteroids are located in the asteroid belt and there are believed to be approximately 25i43 asteroids in the asteroid belt.

2. What are most asteroids made of? rock,dust and metal are what they are mostly made of.

3. What is the name of the largest asteroid? Ceres

4. What are the concentric gaps in the asteroid belt called? they are called kirkwood gaps

5. Do any of the asteroids have an orbiting moon? If yes, what are they called? yes,the asteroid called eugenia.

6. What is another name for asteroids?minor planets

7. What is an asteroid belt?The asteroid belt is a region of space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter where most of the asteroids in our solar system are found orbiting the sun.

8. Which planet pulls the asteroid belt away from the sun and how does this happen?Mars because it drifts further away which causes the ateoid belt to follow it.

9. What are Kirkwood gaps?realtivelt empty regionsin the asteroid belt.

(part 1:20 housepoints)


Part 2:

Write a detailed account as if from your own eyes of the first sighting of an asteroid and an asteroid belt. A little research may be needed in order to describe what you see, hear, feel and anything else.
Word count 200-300

I was sitting in my room watchimg my favorite tv show and all of a suddden I feel this strong gust of wind and check my bedroom window.I stand in awe at what was outside my window in the sky.It was this big long strip of mist and I had never seen anything like that.I was alone because my parents were out partying somewhere without me.
I went outside and it was so bright that I didnt even need a flashlight.I stared at it because it was like nothing I had ever seen.As far as I could see there was that one long strip of mist.I decided to take a closer look and all of a sudden the air got really heavy and thick.I saw the strangest things in that strip of mist they were like really mimi planets that havent quite formed.As I walked closer it was like the elevation was rising because it became harder and harder to breathe.I got freaked out and went back inside to my bedroom and thought its not harming if I dont get near it so I forgot about it and eventually fell asleep.The next mring the weird strip of mist wasnt there and I was very relieved.

Part 1

1. Most asteroids are located where in the solar system and approximately how many are there believed to be there? (4)
Theyt are located in the asteroid belt between mars and jupiter, there are about 1.5 million of them.

2. What are most asteroids made of? (2)
Mostly metal, rock, and dust.

3. What is the name of the largest asteroid? (2)
Ceres

4. What are the concentric gaps in the asteroid belt called? (2)
Kirkwood Gaps

5. Do any of the asteroids have an orbiting moon? If yes, what are they called? (2)
yes, Binary asteroids(The moon is the second asteroid)

6. What is another name for asteroids? (2)
minor planets

7. What is an asteroid belt? (2)
The region in our solar system in which most of the asteroids are located.

8. Which planet pulls the asteroid belt away from the sun and how does this happen? (2)
Jupiter because of its gravity.

9. What are Kirkwood gaps? (2)
Parts of the asteroid belt which are relatively empty.

Bonus:



This is a picture of a small section of our asteroid belt.


I didn't use any sources ( I'm in love with astronomy).

Part 1

1. Most asteroids are located where in the solar system and approximately how many are there believed to be
there? (4)
- Most asteroids lie in a belt between Mars and Jupiter. These asteroids lie in a location in the solar system where there seems to be a jump in the spacing between the planets. There about more than 100,000 asteroids there.

2. What are most asteroids made of? (2)
- Asteroids are small bodies that are believed to be left over from the beginning of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. They are rocky objects with round or irregular shapes up to several hundred km across, but most are much smaller.

3. What is the name of the largest asteroid? (2)
- Ceres

4. What are the concentric gaps in the asteroid belt called? (2)
- Kirkwood gaps.

5. Do any of the asteroids have an orbiting moon? If yes, what are they called? (2)
- Yes, 243 Ida.

6. What is another name for asteroids? (2)
- Minor planets or planetoids.

7. What is an asteroid belt? (2)
- This is the region of the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. It is occupied by numerous irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets.

8. Which planet pulls the asteroid belt away from the sun and how does this happen?
(2)
- Jupiter. The huge gravitational pull of Jupiter accelerated these asteroids to more than three miles per second -- too fast to prevent violent collisions.

9. What are Kirkwood gaps? (2)
- These are relatively empty regions between the main concentrations of asteroids in the Main Belt. These are regions where an object's orbital period would be a simple fraction of that of Jupiter.

Part 2: [What I wrote is about me seeing meteors, though I know that they are somewhat different, at some point they are also somewhat alike. And since I want my work to have a connection with me for some reason this time, I used it. Anyway, if it’s too off, just inform me and I’ll make a new one. ]

One night, when I was at the rooftop with my aunt, gazing at the vast black veil wrapping the Earth’s atmosphere, we have seen something we have unexpected to see. Being up there was like a routine for the two of us. It is where we usually discuss stuffs about what happened on our day. So, one can say that we are not expecting to see a shooting star or something alike, but we did. In the middle of our chat she turned around and to her surprise she saw a falling freely on a straight path downward. What she managed to exclaimed was, “A shooting star!” And those words made me turn around in a quick pace, too. I was in awe at the moment I have seen it. I will never forget its “contrail”. It stained the sky’s black veil of a reddish to bluish to whitish ray of light for seconds. Its picture made me seem to float for a moment in space. It was as if I have seen the most beautiful scene in the world. I don’t know how to put every emotion I have felt at that moment actually, and it has been a long time when that happened. Though I do can remember still the clear picture of the scene, and the presence of joy within me as I have caught a glimpse of it - not to mention the goose bumps and shock. And since this is not a close encounter, I didn’t hear any as we saw it. (257 words)

Bonus:


Asteroids. These small bodies orbiting the Sun are sometimes called minor planets or planetoids. Have also been referred as the SSSB (small Solar System Body) and planetule. But whatever other people may say, they are STILL rocks! Their only difference to the normal rocks we know is that they float in space. --Rita's Skater

Sources:
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/our_solar_system/asteroids.html
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/asteroid.htm
http://www.nineplanets.org/asteroids.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid#Orbit_groups_and_families

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