Asteroids

By:Alisha, Krutica and Veer

Introduction to Asteroids- Alisha

❏ Bouldered/rocky metallic objects

ranging from as small as pebble to
across 600 miles sized orbiting around
the sun are known as asteroids.
❏ Too small to be considered planets
although they orbit around the sun.
❏ Called the leftover of the solar system
during its formation.
How asteroids are formed- Alisha

❏ 4.6 billion years during the formation of the solar system , rocky materials which
were left out are considered as ‘asteroids’.
❏ Small planetary bodies were formed during the birth of Jupiter, due to their
repulsion from forming in the gap.
❏ Nice model and the grand tack (recent) theory. Before settling into their current
orbits, gas giants (jupiter, saturn, neptune) were in constant motion which could
have possibly caused various asteroids to form.
Difference between Meteorites, Meteoroids,
Meteors and Asteroids - Veer

● As seen on the right, there is a meteorite (top), and an asteroid(bottom).

● An asteroid is basically a large rock type body in space that is in orbit
around our sun or perhaps another star.
● Meteoroids are fall smaller rocks or particles that like asteroids are in orbit
around a star.
● Meteorites is when either an asteroid or meteoroid survives its way into the
atmosphere of Earth, and lands on the surface.
● Meteors are simply meteoroids that enter the atmosphere and vaporize and
are mostly considered as shooting stars.
3 main types of Asteroids, and their
compositions- Alisha
❏ C-type : Most common types of asteroids (75%), largely found in the asteroid belt’s
outer regions. Carbonaceous asteroids are darkish gray in colour, with a
composition of clay, stony silicate rocks, large amounts of carbon and some
minerals.
❏ S -type : Majorly found in the inner region of the belt, there are about 17% of
silicaceous asteroids. Found in greenish to red colours, they are composed of
primarily stony materials, oxygen, silicone and nickel iron.
❏ M-type: These reddish metallic type asteroids makeup most of the left asteroids,
dwelling in the middle region of the belt. Nickel iron, pure of mixed amounts of
stone.
The Asteroid Belt - Krutica

● The region of space where the vast

majority of asteroids are found is called
the asteroid belt.
● This belt is located between the orbits
of Mars and Jupiter in the Solar System.
It is placed between 2.2 and 3.2
astronomical units (AU) from the sun.
● Many scientists have theories that say
that this asteroid belt is made up from
the remains of a planet.
Certain Asteroids that are found in the belt -
Krutica
● Four largest asteroids are found in the asteroid
belt- Ceres, Vesta, Pallas and Hygiea,
● Contain half of the mass of the earth.
● Ceres- largest asteroid and also, a dwarf planet.
● Vesta- second largest asteroid after Ceres.
● Pallas- next largest asteroid and is only 10-30%
lesser massive than Vesta.
● Hygiea- fourth largest asteroid and is the largest
in the C-type asteroids.
 Myths and Perceptions Created by Humans
about Asteroids- Krutica

1. Comets are composed of the same material as

asteroids- Both are very similar, but their
composition is a little different. While asteroids are
mostly rock and metal, comets are made up of
mostly ice, rock and dust.
2. The asteroid belt is congested by asteroids
and they are very close to each other- The
reality is that the asteroid belt is mostly empty space
and the asteroids are spread over a large volume of
space.
Events that have been caused in history due
to Asteroids- Veer

● Throughout history, there have been many cataclysmic events that have been caused by
Asteroids and meteorites, and one of the most famous and well known of these events is
most likely the the supposed asteroid that obliterated the dinosaurs during the
Cretaceous period.
● There have been other events throughout history too that have been recently discovered
by scientists, which have left craters such as the Vredefort Crater, and Acraman Crater,
the first one having its impact nearly 2 billion years ago, and the Acraman one at least 350
million years ago.
● These many asteroid collisions, according to both historians and scientists, have shaped
Earth both literally and metaphorically into what it is today.
● In the GIF on the right is a surprisingly accurate GIF that shows what it may have been
like during the huge meteor shower in the Cretaceous period.
Events that may be caused due to Asteroids
in future - Veer
● Along with the shaping of the past, asteroids, meteors and so on may have in store
a catastrophic disaster in our future, and could possibly cause the extinction of
human civilization as we know it, and the chances of this event happening are
actually quite high, especially in the next 2 centuries.
● As theorized by both NASA scientists, and general theorists themselves, history is
likely to repeat itself with perhaps another cataclysmic event like the one with in
the Cretaceous period, and also due to both our asteroid belt and the further away
kuiper belt, an asteroid with the diameter of 25 kilometers may strike us in the
next 2 centuries.
● The ways NASA have devised to stop such a cataclysmic events are in the next
slide.
Solutions- Veer

The side document is the introduction from a document established by NASA in the late

20th century, about asteroids as an issue and a threat to humanity, and possible ways to

prevent an asteroid from destroying all of humanity, these plans include nuclear bombs,

hydrogen bombs and also satellite weapons.

 Bibliography
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