Homework 6(1)
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Apr 3, 2024
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EAE 103 - Homework 6: Asteroids, Meteors, Meteorites and Comets (30 points total) Asteroids
1. (a)
Regions in the asteroid belt contain few or no asteroids. Asteroids at these distances would experience a resonance with Jupiter and the Sun and would be pulled out of these zones.
What are these asteroid-free zones called? (1 point) Kirkwood gaps
(b)
What is the name of the largest asteroid (it is also a dwarf planet)? (1 point) Ceres
(c)
What are the names of asteroids trapped in Jupiter’s orbit at Jupiter’s Lagrange points (60
o
ahead and behind Jupiter)? (1 point
) The trojan asteroids
(d)
What is the name of asteroids that cross the orbit of Mars, but not Earth? (1 point)
Amor asteroid
(e)
What name is given to Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and comets that cross the Earth’s orbit and can be deadly? (1 point) Potentially hazourdus object 2.
The three compositional varieties of asteroids are C-type, S-type and M-type. (a)
What type asteroid is the most common in the inner asteroid belt? (1 point)
C-type
(b)
What type is most common in the outer asteroid belt? (1 point) S-type
(c)
Which type of asteroid appears to be metal-rich, occurs throughout the asteroid belt, and might be mined for these metals in the future? (1 point)
S-type
3. (a)
Approximately how many asteroids have been discovered as of November, 2023 (check credible Web sites to get the latest numbers since the textbook may be slightly out of date)? (1 point) 1.3 million (Brittanica.com)
(b)
Science fiction movies and TV shows often show spacecraft having to dodge asteroids. What is wrong with this depiction? (1 point
) This depiction is wrong because an asteroid belt is
not a region packed with bodies, therefore it is impossible to pass.
Meteoroids, Meteors, and Meteorites
4.
Define the following
(a)
Meteor (1 point) – a quick streak or burst of light in the sky as a meteoroid burns – most are sand to gravel-sized grains
(b)
Meteoroid (1 point) – a small planetary body before entry into Earth’s atmosphere
(c)
Meteorite (1 point) – solid material from a meteoroid that reaches Earth’s surface
5
.
(a)
List the 3 main categories of meteorites. (3 points) iron, stony, stony-iron
(b)
What part of the solar system is probably the source for most meteorites? (1 point) The source of meteorites is the asteoid belt.
(c)
What type of meteorite is the most primitive, and contains organic molecules?
(1 point)
Murchison meteorite
(d)
Why do iron meteorites comprise only about 6% of falls, but 50% of finds? (1 point)
Because they are comparatively resistant to weathering
6. (a)
During a meteor shower, meteors appear to come from one distinct area in the sky. What
is this called? (1 point
) Radiant point
(b) What are Meteors called when they occur without a meteor shower? (1 point) Sporadic meteors
(c) Meteor showers occur when Earth’s orbit intersects the orbit of what other type of planetary body? (1 point) When Earth’s orbit intersects with the orbit of a comet.
Comets
7
. (a) Most comets have 2 types of tails. What are the names of these tails? (1 point) plasma trail, dust tail
(b)
From what part of the solar system do most comets originate? (1 point
) Oort cloud
(c)
Is Halley’s comet a long- or short-period comet? (1 point
) Short period comet
(d)
What causes a comet’s nuclei to break up? (1 point) Jets of gas and dust shooting into space.
(e)
A large impact from an asteroid or comet hit the northern Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico approximately 65 million years ago, causing widespread extinctions (including the eventual end of the dinosaurs). What is the name of this impact feature (named after the Mexican village near the impact site)? (1 point) Chicxulub crater
8. (a) What is the approximate density (in g/cm
3
) of comet nuclei? (1 point) The comet density is about 0.5 -0.6 g/cm^3 and comets nucei range from 90m to 40km.
(b)
What does this density tell us about the structure of comet nuclei? (1 point)
The density tells us about the shape of comet and how loosely packed it is.
(c)
List at least two chemical compounds identified in comet nuclei. (1 point)
CO, methane
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