HW#8 _Nov 19th

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Astronomy

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Jan 9, 2024

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HW#8 / Ch. 6 & 7 The Solar System & Earth Christina Caruso Give an example of each ( an asteroid and a comet ) that impacted our earth. (An essay of one page with citation ) There have been numerous instances in which celestial bodies have either impacted or been observed from our planet. One such entity is the asteroid, a small rocky object that orbits the Sun. While the majority of asteroids are situated within the asteroid belt, which lies between the planets Mars and Jupiter, they can exist in almost any location, including a path that may potentially intersect with Earth. The first example of an impact planet Earth experienced was in the summer of 1908 when a colossal asteroid hurtled through space and collided with Earth's atmosphere, resulting in a catastrophic explosion that illuminated the sky over the remote Tunguska region of Siberia. The asteroid was estimated to be between 30 and 60 meters in diameter, weighing around 10 million tons, and smashed into the atmosphere at an altitude of approximately 5 to 10 kilometers above ground level. The asteroid's collision resulted in an explosion that produced energy equivalent to roughly 10 to 20 megatons of TNT, forming a fireball visible for hundreds of kilometers. The explosion's intense heat was potent enough to vaporize the asteroid and break it down into numerous small pieces scattered throughout the region. The explosion's force produced a shock wave that flattened trees over more than 2,000 square kilometers, leaving behind a trail of devastation. The shock wave was so intense that it could be felt hundreds of kilometers away, causing buildings to shake and people to lose their balance. The seismic wave created by the explosion was powerful enough to register on seismographs worldwide. Despite the explosion's magnitude, no impact crater was discovered because the asteroid disintegrated mid-air. “ The Tunguska” event is still one of the most mysterious and awe-inspiring natural disasters in recorded history, and scientists continue to study it to understand better the nature of asteroids and the potential danger they pose to our

planet. Comets typically avoid colliding with Earth, as they tend to veer towards the sun or Jupiter instead. Given Earth's relatively smaller size and weaker gravitational pull, it is not a prime target for comets. Even if a comet were to collide with Earth, its volatile composition would likely cause it to disintegrate into smaller pieces that dissipate as they descend through the atmosphere. Often, comets will vaporize upon impact, leaving behind little evidence. However, if a comet were traveling at speeds of 40 km/s or greater, it could potentially cause significant harm. That being said, astronomers keep a watchful eye on the skies for potential threats and are actively researching technologies that could help prevent a catastrophic collision. Comets are celestial bodies consisting of ice and other materials that follow an elliptical orbit around the sun. The majority of their time is spent in the distant outer reaches of the solar system. However, they occasionally make their way towards the sun, which results in a breathtaking display of light as the ice vaporizes due to the sun's heat. This phenomenon results in the formation of a luminous head referred to as a coma, and a lengthy tail of gas and dust. An example of A Near-Earth object refers to a celestial body, be it an asteroid or comet, that ventures near the Earth's orbit. In scientific jargon, a NEO is defined as having a path that takes it within 1.3 astronomical units of the Sun, equivalent to around 121 million kilometers, and within 0.3 astronomical units, or roughly 45 million kilometers. An example of a comet is Halley's Comet, also known as Comet Halley or simply Halley, which is a spectacular celestial object that is visible from Earth every 75-79 years because it is a short-period comet that orbits the sun. On the other hand, Long -period comets can take up to millions of years to orbit the sun. Comets in the Oort Cloud can take up to 30 million years to orbit the sun once and its last appearance in the inner parts of our Solar System in 1986 was a breathtaking sight, as it lit up the night sky with its bright tail. Named after English astronomer

Edmond Halley, Halley's Comet has been observed and recorded by astronomers around the world since at least 240 BC. It is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and its appearance twice in a human lifetime has made it a subject of fascination and wonder for generations. During its last appearance in the inner Solar System, Halley's Comet was studied in detail by spacecraft, providing scientists with the first observational data on the structure of a comet nucleus, as well as the mechanism of coma and tail formation. These observations supported a number of longstanding hypotheses about comet construction, particularly Fred Whipple's "dirty snowball" model, which predicts that Halley is composed of a mixture of volatile ices such as water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and dust. However, recent data has shown that the surface of Halley is largely composed of dusty, non-volatile materials, with only a small portion being icy. This has prompted scientists to re-evaluate their understanding of how comets are formed and has led to new discoveries about the composition and evolution of our Solar System. Halley's periodic returns to the inner Solar System provide a rare and exciting opportunity for astronomers to study comets and learn more about our universe. The next appearance of Halley's Comet in mid-2061 will be eagerly anticipated by scientists and stargazers alike, who will undoubtedly be awe-struck by its majestic beauty and the mysteries it holds. On December 9th, Halley's Comet will be at its farthest point from the Sun ever, about 35.1 AU away.

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Works Cited “Eyes on Asteroids - NASA/JPL.” Eyes on Asteroids - NASA/JPL , eyes.nasa.gov/apps/asteroids/#/home. Falk, Dan. “The Very Real Effort to Track Killer Asteroids and Comets.” Smithsonian Magazine , 10 Dec. 2021, www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-very-real-effort- to-track-killer-asteroids-and-comets-180979206. Farinella, P., et al. “Probable Asteroidal Origin of the Tunguska Cosmic Body.” Astronomy and Astrophysics , vol. 377, no. 3, EDP Sciences, Oct. 2001, pp. 1081–97. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20011054. Grewing, Michael, et al. Exploration of Halley’s Comet . Springer Science and Business Media, 2012. Halley’s Comet - Where It Is and What It Is . www.theplanetstoday.com/halleys_comet.html. Howell, Elizabeth. “Chelyabinsk Meteor: A Wake-Up Call for Earth.” Space.com , 9 Jan. 2019, www.space.com/33623-chelyabinsk-meteor-wake-up-call-for-earth.html. Krennikov et al. 2020. On the possibility of through passage of asteroid bodies across the Earth’s atmosphere. www. Arxiv.org/abs/2009.14234 Nasa.gov/history/115-years-ago-the-tunguska-asteroid-impact-event/ Society, Planetary. “Notable Asteroid Impacts in Earth’s History.” The Planetary Society , 27 Apr. 2021, www.planetary.org/notable-asteroid-impacts-in-earths-history. Whitt, Kelly Kizer, and Kelly Kizer Whitt. “Comet Halley Soon to Reach Its Farthest Point From the Sun.” EarthSky | Updates on Your Cosmos and World , 8 Nov. 2023, earthsky.org/space/comet-halley-reaches-its-farthest-point-from-the-sun-aphelion- dec-9-2023/#:~:text=Bottom%20line%3A%20Comet%20Halley%20reaches%20its %20farthest%20point,point%20to%20the%20sun%20on%20July%2028%2C%202061.

HW#8 _Nov 19th

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