Minor Members of the Solar System

Asteroids, Comets and Meteoroids

Asteroids
Planetesimals

Small fragments left over from the formation of the solar system
have been likened to flying mountains

Most asteroids lie between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in the region known as Asteroid Belt

Asteroids
Irregular shaped Eccentric orbit Composition a. 75% carbonaceous chondrite b. 17% nickel-iron silicate c. most others nickel-iron Largest Asteroids = Ceres

Asteroid Orbit

Comets

Dirty snowballs smaller than 100 meters composed of ices (Water,

Ammonia, methane, Carbon dioxide, & carbon monoxide)

that hold together small pieces of rocky and metallic materials

Comets Tail Orientation

The tail of the comet always points away from the sun
this is accounted for by the solar wind and radiation pressure

Parts of Comet

1. Nucleus solid part of the comet 2. coma glowing head(gas & dust around nucleus) 3. Tail appears when sun pushes away the coma away from nucleus - ionized gases - dust

Kinds of Comet

Short period they have orbits that take less than 200 years. They stay near the sun.

Long period they have orbits that may carry them away from the sun. Their orbital period can last for a thousand years.

Beyond the planet

Kuiper Belt a region beyond neptune where comets have short orbital periods Oort Cloud have longer orbital periods and arent confined to the plane of the solar system. It appears as a spherical shell of comets and other materials surrounding our solar system. ***Haleys comet- most famous short period comet that has 76 years of orbital period and has a potato shaped nucleus