Pluto and Charon What I’M Going to Talk About Asteroids and Comets • Pluto and Charon • Historical Views • Definitions and Distinctions Among Comets Et Al
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Spacewalch Discovery of Near-Earth Asteroids Tom Gehrele Lunar End
N9 Spacewalch Discovery of Near-Earth Asteroids Tom Gehrele Lunar end Planetary Laboratory The University of Arizona Our overall scientific goal is to survey the solar system to completion -- that is, to find the various populations and to study their statistics, interrelations, and origins. The practical benefit to SERC is that we are finding Earth-approaching asteroids that are accessible for mining. Our system can detect Earth-approachers In the 1-km size range even when they are far away, and can detect smaller objects when they are moving rapidly past Earth. Until Spacewatch, the size range of 6 - 300 meters in diameter for the near-Earth asteroids was unexplored. This important region represents the transition between the meteorites and the larger observed near-Earth asteroids (Rabinowitz 1992). One of our Spacewatch discoveries, 1991 VG, may be representative of a new orbital class of object. If it is really a natural object, and not man-made, its orbital parameters are closer to those of the Earth than we have seen before; its delta V is the lowest of all objects known thus far (J. S. Lewis, personal communication 1992). We may expect new discoveries as we continue our surveying, with fine-tuning of the techniques. III-12 Introduction The data accumulated in the following tables are the result of continuing observation conducted as a part of the Spacewatch program. T. Gehrels is the Principal Investigator and also one of the three observers, with J.V. Scotti and D.L Rabinowitz, each observing six nights per month. R.S. McMillan has been Co-Principal Investigator of our CCD-scanning since its inception; he coordinates optical, mechanical, and electronic upgrades. -
Természet Világa | 2018
A KISBOLYGÓK VILÁGNAPJÁRA Kis égitestek földközelben 1. RÉSZ A 2018-as év bővelkedik a föld- közeli természetes kis égitestekkel kapcsolatos évfordulókban, illetőleg a kuta- tásukkal, közelebbi megismerésükkel kap- csolatos eseményekben. Ezek a nevezetes és emlékezetes események az első földközeli kisbolygó, az Eros felfedezésének 120. évfor- dulója, az 1908. június 30-i Tunguz-esemény 110. évfordulója. Az ENSZ június 30-át a Kisbolygók Világnapjává (As- teroid Day) nyilvánította, ami egyben a Tunguz-jelen- ségre emlékeztet, és minden évben a kisbolygókról szerzett tudásunk és lehetséges hatásaik ismertetésé- re ad lehetőséget. Tehát ez a nap nem csupán az 1908- as Tunguz-meteor emléknapja, hanem sokkal inkább figyelemfelkeltés kozmikus fenyegetettségünkre, il- letve a kisbolygókkal kapcsolatban eddig szerzett tu- dományos ismeretek minél szélesebb körben történő terjesztésére a nagyközönség számára egészen a hi- asztrofizikusokon kívül egy sor híresség csatlakozott, vatalos döntéshozókig, kormányokig. Tudjuk, hogy a mint például Peter Gabriel vagy Bill Nye. Eddig három Csillagászat Nemzetközi Éve (2009) hivatalos ENSZ-év- alkalommal tartották meg a Kisbolygók Napját, a pro- vé nyilvánítása már 2002-ben felmerült, és hosszas jekt honlapja szerint 78 országban több mint 600 hely- szervezőmunka előzte meg a minősítést. A Fény Éve színen szerveztek programokat, bemutatókat. Ahhoz, esetében gyorsabban zajlottak a folyamatok, a Kisboly- hogy az ENSZ valamilyen napot nemzetközivé nyil- gók Napja esetében pedig úgy tűnik, egészen gyorsan, vánítson, valakinek el is kell indítania a folyamatot. hiszen meglehetősen új kezdeményezésről van szó. Dumitru Prunariu román űrhajós és az Association of Első ízben 2015. június 30-án tartották meg a jeles na- Space Explorers (az űrhajósok nemzetközi egyesülete) pot, a Tunguz-meteor 1908-as pusztítására emlékezve. -
Jjmonl 1603.Pmd
alactic Observer GJohn J. McCarthy Observatory Volume 9, No. 3 March 2016 GRAIL - On the Trail of the Moon's Missing Mass GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) was a NASA scientific mission in 2011/12 to map the surface of the moon and collect data on gravitational anomalies. The image here is an artist's impres- sion of the twin satellites (Ebb and Flow) orbiting in tandem above a gravitational image of the moon. See inside, page 4 for information on gravitational anomalies (mascons) or visit http://solarsystem. nasa.gov/grail. The John J. McCarthy Observatory Galactic Observer New Milford High School Editorial Committee 388 Danbury Road Managing Editor New Milford, CT 06776 Bill Cloutier Phone/Voice: (860) 210-4117 Production & Design Phone/Fax: (860) 354-1595 www.mccarthyobservatory.org Allan Ostergren Website Development JJMO Staff Marc Polansky It is through their efforts that the McCarthy Observatory Technical Support has established itself as a significant educational and Bob Lambert recreational resource within the western Connecticut Dr. Parker Moreland community. Steve Barone Jim Johnstone Colin Campbell Carly KleinStern Dennis Cartolano Bob Lambert Mike Chiarella Roger Moore Route Jeff Chodak Parker Moreland, PhD Bill Cloutier Allan Ostergren Cecilia Dietrich Marc Polansky Dirk Feather Joe Privitera Randy Fender Monty Robson Randy Finden Don Ross John Gebauer Gene Schilling Elaine Green Katie Shusdock Tina Hartzell Paul Woodell Tom Heydenburg Amy Ziffer In This Issue "OUT THE WINDOW ON YOUR LEFT" ............................... 4 SUNRISE AND SUNSET ...................................................... 13 MARE HUMBOLDTIANIUM AND THE NORTHEAST LIMB ......... 5 JUPITER AND ITS MOONS ................................................. 13 ONE YEAR IN SPACE ....................................................... 6 TRANSIT OF JUPITER'S RED SPOT .................................... -
Using Resources from Near-Earth Space
USING RESOURCES FROM NEAR-EARTH SPACE JOHN S. LEWIS University of Arizona DAVIDS. McKAY NASA Johnson Space Center and BENTON C. CLARK Martin Marietta Civil Space & Communications The parts of the solar system that are most accessible from Earth (the Moon, the near Earth asteroids, and Mars and its moons) are rich in materials of great potential value to humanity. Immediate uses of these resources to manufacture propellants, structural metals, refractories, life-support fluids and glass can support future large-scale space acitivites. In the longterm, non-terrestrial sources of rare materials and energy may be of great importance here on Earth. I. INTRODUCTION Space activities have become so much a part of modem life that they are almost invisible. We are aware how important communications satellite relays are for inexpensive long-distance telephone calls and television news broadcast, and we see the color images of Earth's cloud cover in the weather reports on TV. But we are usually not aware that the commercial airplane in which we fly or the ferry we ride locates itself by using navigation satellites 12,000 miles above our heads. We may never hear that the Soviet Union launched several satellites each year dedicated to assessing the American, Canadian, and Argentine wheat crops to help plan their grain purchases. We may be even more astonished to know that the truck we just passed on the highway is being tracked by a satellite, or that the strategic balance between the great powers has long been monitored based on photographic, electronic imaging, radar, infrared, and signal monitoring from space. -
Meteor Showers # 11.Pptx
20-05-31 Meteor Showers Adolf Vollmy Sources of Meteors • Comets • Asteroids • Reentering debris C/2019 Y4 Atlas Brett Hardy 1 20-05-31 Terminology • Meteoroid • Meteor • Meteorite • Fireball • Bolide • Sporadic • Meteor Shower • Meteor Storm Meteors in Our Atmosphere • Mesosphere • Atmospheric heating • Radiant • Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) 2 20-05-31 Equipment Lounge chair Blanket or sleeping bag Hot beverage Bug repellant - ThermaCELL Camera & tripod Tracking Viewing Considerations • Preparation ! Locate constellation ! Take a nap and set alarm ! Practice photography • Location: dark & unobstructed • Time: midnight to dawn https://earthsky.org/astronomy- essentials/earthskys-meteor-shower- guide https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor- showers/meteor-shower-calendar/ • Where to look: 50° up & 45-60° from radiant • Challenges: fatigue, cold, insects, Moon • Recording observations ! Sky map, pen, red light & clipboard ! Time, position & location ! Recording device & time piece • Binoculars Getty 3 20-05-31 Meteor Showers • 112 confirmed meteor showers • 695 awaiting confirmation • Naming Convention ! C/2019 Y4 (Atlas) ! (3200) Phaethon June Tau Herculids (m) Parent body: 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Peak: June 2 – ZHR = 3 Slow moving – 15 km/s Moon: Waning Gibbous June Bootids (m) Parent body: 7p/Pons-Winnecke Peak: June 27– ZHR = variable Slow moving – 14 km/s Moon: Waxing Crescent Perseid by Brian Colville 4 20-05-31 July Delta Aquarids Parent body: 96P/Machholz Peak: July 28 – ZHR = 20 Intermediate moving – 41 km/s Moon: Waxing Gibbous Alpha -
A Guide to Smartphone Astrophotography National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Aeronautics and Space Administration A Guide to Smartphone Astrophotography National Aeronautics and Space Administration A Guide to Smartphone Astrophotography A Guide to Smartphone Astrophotography Dr. Sten Odenwald NASA Space Science Education Consortium Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland Cover designs and editing by Abbey Interrante Cover illustrations Front: Aurora (Elizabeth Macdonald), moon (Spencer Collins), star trails (Donald Noor), Orion nebula (Christian Harris), solar eclipse (Christopher Jones), Milky Way (Shun-Chia Yang), satellite streaks (Stanislav Kaniansky),sunspot (Michael Seeboerger-Weichselbaum),sun dogs (Billy Heather). Back: Milky Way (Gabriel Clark) Two front cover designs are provided with this book. To conserve toner, begin document printing with the second cover. This product is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement number NNH15ZDA004C. [1] Table of Contents Introduction.................................................................................................................................................... 5 How to use this book ..................................................................................................................................... 9 1.0 Light Pollution ....................................................................................................................................... 12 2.0 Cameras ................................................................................................................................................ -
Detecting the Yarkovsky Effect Among Near-Earth Asteroids From
Detecting the Yarkovsky effect among near-Earth asteroids from astrometric data Alessio Del Vignaa,b, Laura Faggiolid, Andrea Milania, Federica Spotoc, Davide Farnocchiae, Benoit Carryf aDipartimento di Matematica, Universit`adi Pisa, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 5, Pisa, Italy bSpace Dynamics Services s.r.l., via Mario Giuntini, Navacchio di Cascina, Pisa, Italy cIMCCE, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universits, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Lille, 77 av. Denfert-Rochereau F-75014 Paris, France dESA SSA-NEO Coordination Centre, Largo Galileo Galilei, 1, 00044 Frascati (RM), Italy eJet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, 91109 CA, USA fUniversit´eCˆote d’Azur, Observatoire de la Cˆote d’Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire Lagrange, Boulevard de l’Observatoire, Nice, France Abstract We present an updated set of near-Earth asteroids with a Yarkovsky-related semi- major axis drift detected from the orbital fit to the astrometry. We find 87 reliable detections after filtering for the signal-to-noise ratio of the Yarkovsky drift esti- mate and making sure the estimate is compatible with the physical properties of the analyzed object. Furthermore, we find a list of 24 marginally significant detec- tions, for which future astrometry could result in a Yarkovsky detection. A further outcome of the filtering procedure is a list of detections that we consider spurious because unrealistic or not explicable with the Yarkovsky effect. Among the smallest asteroids of our sample, we determined four detections of solar radiation pressure, in addition to the Yarkovsky effect. As the data volume increases in the near fu- ture, our goal is to develop methods to generate very long lists of asteroids with reliably detected Yarkovsky effect, with limited amounts of case by case specific adjustments. -
Events: No General Meeting in April
The monthly newsletter of the Temecula Valley Astronomers Apr 2020 Events: No General Meeting in April. Until we can resume our monthly meetings, you can still interact with your astronomy associates on Facebook or by posting a message to our mailing list. General information: Subscription to the TVA is included in the annual $25 membership (regular members) donation ($9 student; $35 family). President: Mark Baker 951-691-0101 WHAT’S INSIDE THIS MONTH: <[email protected]> Vice President: Sam Pitts <[email protected]> Cosmic Comments Past President: John Garrett <[email protected]> by President Mark Baker Treasurer: Curtis Croulet <[email protected]> Looking Up Redux Secretary: Deborah Baker <[email protected]> Club Librarian: Vacant compiled by Clark Williams Facebook: Tim Deardorff <[email protected]> Darkness – Part III Star Party Coordinator and Outreach: Deborah Baker by Mark DiVecchio <[email protected]> Hubble at 30: Three Decades of Cosmic Discovery Address renewals or other correspondence to: Temecula Valley Astronomers by David Prosper PO Box 1292 Murrieta, CA 92564 Send newsletter submissions to Mark DiVecchio th <[email protected]> by the 20 of the month for Members’ Mailing List: the next month's issue. [email protected] Website: http://www.temeculavalleyastronomers.com/ Like us on Facebook Page 1 of 18 The monthly newsletter of the Temecula Valley Astronomers Apr 2020 Cosmic Comments by President Mark Baker One of the things commonly overlooked about Space related Missions is time, and of course, timing…!!! Many programs take a decade just to get them in place and off the ground, and many can take twice that long…just look at the James Webb Telescope!!! So there’s the “time” aspect of such endeavors…what about timing?? I mentioned last month that July is looking like a busy month for Martian Missions… here’s a refresher: 1) The NASA Mars 2020 rover Perseverance and its helicopter drone companion (aka Lone Ranger and Tonto, as I called them) is still on schedule. -
The 2019 Meteor Shower Activity Forecast for Low Earth Orbit 1 Overview
NASA METEOROID ENVIRONMENT OFFICE The 2019 meteor shower activity forecast for low Earth orbit Issued 15 October 2018 The purpose of this document is to provide a forecast of major meteor shower activity in low Earth orbit. Several meteor showers – the Draconids, Perseids, eta Aquariids, Orionids, and potentially the Androme- dids – are predicted to exhibit increased rates in 2019. However, no storms (meteor showers with visual rates exceeding 1000 [1, 2]) are predicted. 1 Overview Both the MSFC stream model [3] and the Egal et al. Draconid model [4] predict a second Draconid outburst in 2019. The 2019 Draconids are expected to have nearly the same level of activity as the 2018 Draconids, which reached a zenithal hourly rate (or ZHR) of about 100. Twin outbursts also occurred in 2011 and 2012 [5, 6]. The Perseids, eta Aquariids, and Orionids are expected to show mild enhancements over their baseline activity level in 2019. The Perseids are expected to be slightly more active in 2019 than in 2018, with a peak ZHR around 112. The eta Aquariids and Orionids, which belong to a single meteoroid stream generated by comet 1P/Halley, are thought to have a 12-year activity cycle and are currently increasing in activity from year to year. A review of eta Aquariid literature [7, 8, 9, 10] also indicates that the overall activity level is higher than previously believed, and this is reflected in higher forecasted rates (a ZHR of 75) and fluxes for this shower. We may see enhanced beta Taurid activity in 2019. The beta Taurids are part of the same stream as the Northern and Southern Taurids but produce daytime meteors. -
Asteroids and Comets: U.S
Columbia Law School Scholarship Archive Faculty Scholarship Faculty Publications 1997 Asteroids and Comets: U.S. and International Law and the Lowest-Probability, Highest Consequence Risk Michael B. Gerrard Columbia Law School, [email protected] Anna W. Barber Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/faculty_scholarship Part of the Environmental Law Commons, and the International Law Commons Recommended Citation Michael B. Gerrard & Anna W. Barber, Asteroids and Comets: U.S. and International Law and the Lowest- Probability, Highest Consequence Risk, 6 N.Y.U. ENVTL. L. J. 4 (1997). Available at: https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/faculty_scholarship/697 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Publications at Scholarship Archive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Scholarship by an authorized administrator of Scholarship Archive. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COLLOQUIUM ARTICLES ASTEROIDS AND COMETS: U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL LAW AND THE LOWEST-PROBABILITY, HIGHEST ICONSEQUENCE RISK MICHAEL B. GERRARD AND ANNA W. BARBER* INTRODUCrION Asteroids' and comets2 pose unique policy problems. They are the ultimate example of a low probability, high consequence event: no one in recorded human history is confirmed to have ever died from an asteroid or a comet, but the odds are that at some time in the next several centuries (and conceivably next year) an asteroid or a comet will cause mass localized destruction and that at some time in the coming half million years (and con- ceivably next year), an asteroid or a comet will kill several billion people. -
The Minor Planet Bulletin, Alan W
THE MINOR PLANET BULLETIN OF THE MINOR PLANETS SECTION OF THE BULLETIN ASSOCIATION OF LUNAR AND PLANETARY OBSERVERS VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2, A.D. 2015 APRIL-JUNE 89. ASTEROID LIGHTCURVE ANALYSIS AT THE OAKLEY SOUTHERN SKY OBSERVATORY: 2014 SEPTEMBER Lucas Bohn, Brianna Hibbler, Gregory Stein, Richard Ditteon Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, CM 171 5500 Wabash Avenue, Terre Haute, IN 47803, USA [email protected] (Received: 24 November) Photometric data were collected over the course of seven nights in 2014 September for eight asteroids: 1334 Lundmarka, 1904 Massevitch, 2571 Geisei, 2699 Kalinin, 3197 Weissman, 7837 Mutsumi, 14927 Satoshi, and (29769) 1999 CE28. Eight asteroids were remotely observed from the Oakley Southern Sky Observatory in New South Wales, Australia. The observations were made on 2014 September 12-14, 16-19 using a 0.50-m f/8.3 Ritchey-Chretien optical tube assembly on a Paramount ME mount and SBIG STX-16803 CCD camera, binned 3x3, with a luminance filter. Exposure times ranged from 90 to 180 sec depending on the magnitude of the target. The resulting image scale was 1.34 arcseconds per pixel. Raw images were processed in MaxIm DL 6 using twilight flats, bias, and dark frames. MPO Canopus was used to measure the processed images and produce lightcurves. In order to maximize the potential for data collection, target asteroids were selected based upon their position in the sky approximately one hour after sunset. Only asteroids with no previously published results were targeted. Lightcurves were produced for 1334 Lundmarka, 1904 Massevitch, 2571 Geisei, 3197 Weissman, and (29769) 1999 CE28. -
Yrfthesis.Pdf
ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF COMETARY NUCLEI Yanga Rolando Fernandez Do ctor of Philosophy Dissertation directed by Professor Michael F AHearn Department of Astronomy I present results on the physical and thermal prop erties of six cometary nuclei This is a signicant increase in the numb er of nuclei for which physical information is available I have used imaging of the thermal continuum at midinfrared and radio wavelengths and of the scattered solar continuum at optical wavelengths to study the eective radius reectivity rotation state and temp erature of these ob jects Traditionally the nucleus has b een dicult to observe owing to an obscuring coma or extreme faintness I have taken advantage of new midinfrared array detectors to observe more comets than were p ossible b efore I have also codevelop ed a technique to separate the coma and nucleus from a comet image I develop ed a simple mo del of the thermal b ehavior of a cometary nucleus to help interpret the thermal ux measurements the mo del is an extension to the Standard Thermal Mo del for aster oids We have enough nuclei now to see the rst demarcations of the cometary region on an alb edodiameter plot I make a comparison of the cometary nuclei with outer Solar System small b o dies and nearEarth asteroids All of the cometary nuclei studied in this thesis are dark with geometric alb edos b elow and have eective diameters of around to km except for comet HaleBopp C O which is in the next order of magnitude higher I give an extensive discussion of the nuclear