Asteroids@home: Difference between revisions
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= Why = | = Why = | ||
[[wikipedia:Big_Bang|'''''Big Bang''''']]! Everything explodes everywhere and '''''gravity''''' plays a critical role in the formation of structures in the universe. As matter clumps together under the influence of gravity, it leads to the formation of '''''galaxies''''', '''''stars''''', '''''planets''''', and other '''''astronomical objects'''''. | [[wikipedia:Big_Bang|'''''Big Bang''''']]! Everything explodes everywhere and '''''[[wikipedia:Gravity|gravity]]''''' plays a critical role in the formation of structures in the universe. As matter clumps together under the influence of gravity, it leads to the formation of '''''[[wikipedia:Galaxy|galaxies]]''''', '''''[[wikipedia:Star|stars]]''''', '''''[[wikipedia:Planet|planets]]''''', and other '''''[[wikipedia:Astronomical_object|astronomical objects]]'''''. | ||
Within galaxies, planetary systems like our own form as a result of the condensation of material within protoplanetary disks. These disks of gas and dust around young stars gradually form planets and other small objects like comets and asteroids. | Within galaxies, planetary systems like our own form as a result of the condensation of material within protoplanetary disks. These disks of gas and dust around young stars gradually form planets and other small objects like comets and asteroids. | ||
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= Asteroid basics = | = Asteroid basics = | ||
An asteroid is a small rocky body orbiting the sun. Large numbers of these, ranging in size from nearly 600 miles (1,000 km) across (Ceres) to dust particles, are found (as the ''asteroid belt'' ) especially between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, though some have more eccentric orbits, and a few pass close to the earth or enter the atmosphere as meteors. Asteroids can be described as irregular solid bodies without any atmosphere or coma. | An '''''[[wikipedia:Asteroid|asteroid]]''''' is a small rocky body orbiting the sun. Large numbers of these, ranging in size from nearly 600 miles (1,000 km) across (Ceres) to dust particles, are found (as the ''asteroid belt'' ) especially between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, though some have more eccentric orbits, and a few pass close to the earth or enter the atmosphere as meteors. Asteroids can be described as irregular solid bodies without any atmosphere or coma. | ||
There are almost half a million known asteroids - we know their orbit in the solar system (by measuring their position at different times) and their approximate size (by measuring their brightness and knowing their distance). To learn more about their physical properties, other observing techniques have to be used. One of them is ''photometry'' - | There are almost half a million known asteroids - we know their orbit in the solar system (by measuring their position at different times) and their approximate size (by measuring their brightness and knowing their distance). To learn more about their physical properties, other observing techniques have to be used. One of them is '''''[[wikipedia:Photometry_(astronomy)|photometry]]''''' - the measure of brightness variations caused by rotation. By this technique, rotation periods were derived for several thousands of asteroids | ||
= Scientific publications = | = Scientific publications = | ||