Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud
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Printer Friendly - - science news articles online technology magazine articles Printer Friendly Beyond Pluto We are only beginning to discover how vast and strange our solar system truly is By Kathy A. Svitil Illustrations by Don Foley DISCOVER Vol. 25 No. 11 | November 2004 | Astronomy & Physics As a child, Mike Brown had all the trappings of an astronomer-in-the-making, with space books, rocket drawings, and a poster of the planets on his bedroom wall. On it, Pluto was depicted as “this crazy and very eccentric planet,” he says. “It was everyone’s favorite crazy planet.” Brown still recalls the mnemonic he learned for the names of the planets: Martha visits every Monday and—a for asteroids—just stays until noon, period. “The ‘period,’ for Pluto, was always suspicious,” Brown says with a laugh. “It didn’t seem to fit. So maybe that was when I first got the idea that Pluto didn’t belong.” Nowadays Brown, a planetary astronomer at Caltech, has no doubt about Pluto’s place in the solar system: “Pluto is not a planet. There is no logical reason to call Pluto a planet.” Like a growing number of his colleagues, Brown believes Pluto is best understood as the largest known member of the Kuiper belt, a band of rocky, icy miniplanets that orbit the sun in a swath stretching from beyond Neptune to a distance of nearly 5 billion miles. “I don’t think it denigrates Pluto at all to say that it is not a planet. I think Pluto is a fascinating and interesting world, and being the largest Kuiper belt object is an honorable thing to be.” No longer is Pluto a lonely outpost in an otherwise empty frontier. -
Mass of the Kuiper Belt · 9Th Planet PACS 95.10.Ce · 96.12.De · 96.12.Fe · 96.20.-N · 96.30.-T
Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy manuscript No. (will be inserted by the editor) Mass of the Kuiper Belt E. V. Pitjeva · N. P. Pitjev Received: 13 December 2017 / Accepted: 24 August 2018 The final publication ia available at Springer via http://doi.org/10.1007/s10569-018-9853-5 Abstract The Kuiper belt includes tens of thousands of large bodies and millions of smaller objects. The main part of the belt objects is located in the annular zone between 39.4 au and 47.8 au from the Sun, the boundaries correspond to the average distances for orbital resonances 3:2 and 2:1 with the motion of Neptune. One-dimensional, two-dimensional, and discrete rings to model the total gravitational attraction of numerous belt objects are consid- ered. The discrete rotating model most correctly reflects the real interaction of bodies in the Solar system. The masses of the model rings were determined within EPM2017—the new version of ephemerides of planets and the Moon at IAA RAS—by fitting spacecraft ranging observations. The total mass of the Kuiper belt was calculated as the sum of the masses of the 31 largest trans-neptunian objects directly included in the simultaneous integration and the estimated mass of the model of the discrete ring of TNO. The total mass −2 is (1.97 ± 0.30) · 10 m⊕. The gravitational influence of the Kuiper belt on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune exceeds at times the attraction of the hypothetical 9th planet with a mass of ∼ 10 m⊕ at the distances assumed for it. -
Comet Section Observing Guide
Comet Section Observing Guide 1 The British Astronomical Association Comet Section www.britastro.org/comet BAA Comet Section Observing Guide Front cover image: C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) by Geoffrey Johnstone on 1997 April 10. Back cover image: C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy) by Lester Barnes on 2011 December 23. © The British Astronomical Association 2018 2018 December (rev 4) 2 CONTENTS 1 Foreword .................................................................................................................................. 6 2 An introduction to comets ......................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Anatomy and origins ............................................................................................................................ 7 2.2 Naming .............................................................................................................................................. 12 2.3 Comet orbits ...................................................................................................................................... 13 2.4 Orbit evolution .................................................................................................................................... 15 2.5 Magnitudes ........................................................................................................................................ 18 3 Basic visual observation ........................................................................................................ -
Its Founding and Early Years Ewen A. Whitaker
The University of Arizona's LUNAR AND PLANETARY LABORATORY Its Founding and Early Years Ewen A. Whitaker Set in Varityper Times Roman and printed at the University of Arizona Printing-Reproductions Department Equal Employment Opportunity· Affirmative Action Employer CONTENTS THE PRE-TUCSON ERA Historical background ........................................ I Enter Gerard P. Kuiper ....................................... 2 The Moon enters the picture ................................... 3 A call for suggestions ......................................... 5 The Harold Urey affair ....................................... 6 Preliminaries for the Lunar Atlas ............................... 7 1957 - a dream begins to take shape ............................. 7 The shot that was seen (and heard) around the world ............... 8 Other irons in the fire ......................................... 9 Kuiper seeks full-time help for the Lunar Project .................. 9 1959 - the Lunar Project gathers momentum ..................... 11 A new factor in the Lunar Project LPL story ................... 12 The Air Force enters the lunar cartography business ............... 13 The Lunar Atlas published at last .............................. 14 Big problems with the Yerkes set-up ............................ : 6 The southwestern U.S. begins to beckon ........................ 17 "There is a tide in the affairs of men ..." ....................... 18 Preparing for the move ...................................... 23 THE TUCSON ERA The Lunar Project makes the transfer -
Distant Ekos
Issue No. 51 March 2007 s DISTANT EKO di The Kuiper Belt Electronic Newsletter r Edited by: Joel Wm. Parker [email protected] www.boulder.swri.edu/ekonews CONTENTS News & Announcements ................................. 2 Abstracts of 6 Accepted Papers ......................... 3 Titles of 2 Submitted Papers ........................... 6 Title of 1 Other Paper of Interest ....................... 7 Title of 1 Conference Contribution ..................... 7 Abstracts of 3 Book Chapters ........................... 8 Newsletter Information .............................. 10 1 NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS More binaries...lots more... In IAUC 8811, 8814, 8815, and 8816, Noll et al. report satellites of five TNOs from HST observations: • (123509) 2000 WK183, separation = 0.080 arcsec, magnitude difference = 0.4 mag • 2002 WC19, separation = 0.090 arcsec, magnitude difference = 2.5 mag • 2002 GZ31, separation = 0.070 arcsec, magnitude difference = 1.0 mag • 2004 PB108, separation = 0.172 arcsec, magnitude difference = 1.2 mag • (60621) 2000 FE8, separation = 0.044 arcsec, magnitude difference = 0.6 mag In IAUC 8812, Brown and Suer report satellites of four TNOs from HST observations: • (50000) Quaoar, separation = 0.35 arcsec, magnitude difference = 5.6 mag • (55637) 2002 UX25, separation = 0.164 arcsec, magnitude difference = 2.5 mag • (90482) Orcus, separation = 0.25 arcsec, magnitude difference = 2.7 mag • 2003 AZ84, separation = 0.22 arcsec, magnitude difference = 5.0 mag ................................................... ................................................ -
Solar System Planet and Dwarf Planet Fact Sheet
Solar System Planet and Dwarf Planet Fact Sheet The planets and dwarf planets are listed in their order from the Sun. Mercury The smallest planet in the Solar System. The closest planet to the Sun. Revolves the fastest around the Sun. It is 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit hotter on its daytime side than on its night time side. Venus The hottest planet. Average temperature: 864 F. Hotter than your oven at home. It is covered in clouds of sulfuric acid. It rains sulfuric acid on Venus which comes down as virga and does not reach the surface of the planet. Its atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide (CO2). It has thousands of volcanoes. Most are dormant. But some might be active. Scientists are not sure. It rotates around its axis slower than it revolves around the Sun. That means that its day is longer than its year! This rotation is the slowest in the Solar System. Earth Lots of water! Mountains! Active volcanoes! Hurricanes! Earthquakes! Life! Us! Mars It is sometimes called the "red planet" because it is covered in iron oxide -- a substance that is the same as rust on our planet. It has the highest volcano -- Olympus Mons -- in the Solar System. It is not an active volcano. It has a canyon -- Valles Marineris -- that is as wide as the United States. It once had rivers, lakes and oceans of water. Scientists are trying to find out what happened to all this water and if there ever was (or still is!) life on Mars. It sometimes has dust storms that cover the entire planet. -
Redalyc.Búsqueda General Con La Cámara Mosaico CCD Del
Revista Mexicana de Física ISSN: 0035-001X [email protected] Sociedad Mexicana de Física A.C. México Ferrín, I.; Leal, C.; Hernandez, J. Búsqueda general con la cámara mosaico CCD del telescopio Schmidt de 1m del Observatorio Nacional de Venezuela Revista Mexicana de Física, vol. 52, núm. 3, mayo, 2006, pp. 9-11 Sociedad Mexicana de Física A.C. Distrito Federal, México Disponible en: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=57020393003 Cómo citar el artículo Número completo Sistema de Información Científica Más información del artículo Red de Revistas Científicas de América Latina, el Caribe, España y Portugal Página de la revista en redalyc.org Proyecto académico sin fines de lucro, desarrollado bajo la iniciativa de acceso abierto ASTROFISICA´ REVISTA MEXICANA DE FISICA´ S 52 (3) 9–11 MAYO 2006 Busqueda´ general con la camara´ mosaico CCD del telescopio Schmidt de 1m del Observatorio Nacional de Venezuela I. Ferr´ın y C. Leal Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de F´ısica, Centro de Astrof´ısica Teorica,´ Universidad de Los Andes Merida,´ Venezuela J. Hernandez Centro de investigaciones de astronom´ıa, CIDA, Merida,´ Venezuela Recibido el 25 de noviembre de 2003; aceptado el 12 de octubre de 2004 En el presente trabajo se muestran los resultados del programa de busqueda´ y seguimiento de diversos objetos astronomicos:´ estrellas variables, supernovas y objetos en movimiento dentro del Sistema Solar. Para ello estamos utilizando el telescopio Schmidt de 1m de diametro´ del Observatorio Nacional de Venezuela, el cual tiene acoplado una camara´ mosaico CCD de 67 Megap´ıxeles, en un arreglo de 4 £ 4 CCDs, cada uno de 2048 £ 2048 p´ıxeles. -
Taxonomy of Trans-Neptunian Objects and Centaurs As Seen from Spectroscopy? F
A&A 604, A86 (2017) Astronomy DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201730933 & c ESO 2017 Astrophysics Taxonomy of trans-Neptunian objects and Centaurs as seen from spectroscopy? F. Merlin1, T. Hromakina2, D. Perna1, M. J. Hong1, and A. Alvarez-Candal3 1 LESIA – Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France e-mail: [email protected] 2 Institute of Astronomy, Kharkiv V. N. Karin National University, Sumska Str. 35, 61022 Kharkiv, Ukraine 3 Observatorio Nacional, R. Gal. Jose Cristino 77, 20921-400 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Received 4 April 2017 / Accepted 19 May 2017 ABSTRACT Context. Taxonomy of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) and Centaurs has been made in previous works using broadband filters in the visible and near infrared ranges. This initial investigation led to the establishment of four groups with the aim to provide the mean colors of the different classes with possible links with any physical or chemical properties. However, this taxonomy was only made with the Johnson-Cousins filter system and the ESO J, H, Ks filters combination, and any association with other filter system is not yet available. Aims. We aim to edit complete visible to near infrared taxonomy and extend this work to any possible filters system. To do this, we generate mean spectra for each individual group, from a data set of 43 spectra. This work also presents new spectra of the TNO (38628) Huya, on which aqueous alteration has been suspected, and the Centaur 2007 VH305. -
Artificial Intelligence at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
AI Magazine Volume 18 Number 1 (1997) (© AAAI) Articles Making an Impact Artificial Intelligence at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Steve Chien, Dennis DeCoste, Richard Doyle, and Paul Stolorz ■ The National Aeronautics and Space Administra- described here is in the context of the remote- tion (NASA) is being challenged to perform more agent autonomy technology experiment that frequent and intensive space-exploration mis- will fly on the New Millennium Deep Space sions at greatly reduced cost. Nowhere is this One Mission in 1998 (a collaborative effort challenge more acute than among robotic plane- involving JPL and NASA Ames). Many of the tary exploration missions that the Jet Propulsion AI technologists who work at NASA expected Laboratory (JPL) conducts for NASA. This article describes recent and ongoing work on spacecraft to have the opportunity to build an intelli- autonomy and ground systems that builds on a gent spacecraft at some point in their careers; legacy of existing success at JPL applying AI tech- we are surprised and delighted that it has niques to challenging computational problems in come this early. planning and scheduling, real-time monitoring By the year 2000, we expect to demonstrate and control, scientific data analysis, and design NASA spacecraft possessing on-board automat- automation. ed goal-level closed-loop control in the plan- ning and scheduling of activities to achieve mission goals, maneuvering and pointing to execute these activities, and detecting and I research and technology development resolving of faults to continue the mission reached critical mass at the Jet Propul- without requiring ground support. At this Asion Laboratory (JPL) about five years point, mission accomplishment can begin to ago. -
History of Space-Based Infrared Astronomy and the Air Force Infrared Celestial Backgrounds Program
AFRL-RV-HA-TR-2008-1039 History of Space-Based Infrared Astronomy and the Air Force Infrared Celestial Backgrounds Program S. D. Price 18 April 2008 Approved for Public Release: Distribution Unlimited AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY Space Vehicles Directorate 29 Randolph Rd. Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-3010 AFRL-RV-HA-TR-2008-1039 This Technical Report has been reviewed and is approved for publication. / signed / ____________________________ Robert A. Morris, Chief Battlespace Environment Division / signed / / signed / _________________ _______________________________ Stephan D. Price Paul Tracy, Acting Chief Author Battlespace Surveillance Innovation Center This report has been reviewed by the ESC Public Affairs Office (PA) and is releasable to the National Technical Information Service. Qualified requestors may obtain additional copies from the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). All others should apply to the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). If your address has changed, if you wish to be removed from the mailing list, of if the address is no longer employed by your organization, please notify AFRL/VSIM, 29 Randolph Rd., Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-3010. This will assist us in maintaining a current mailing list. Do not return copies of this report unless contractual obligations or notices on a specific document require that it be returned. Form Approved REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE OMB No. 0704-0188 The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0188), 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302. -
Discovery of Remarkable Opposition Surges on Pluto and Charon
50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2019 (LPI Contrib. No. 2132) 1723.pdf Discovery of Remarkable Opposition Surges on Pluto and Charon. B. J. Buratti1, M. D. Hicks1, E. Kramer1, J. Bauer2. 1Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109; bon- [email protected]; 2University of Maryland Department of Astronomy, College Park, MD 20742 Introduction: The July 2015 encounter of the New Observations: Our full request of four nights was Horizons spacecraft with Pluto brought a large Kuiper assigned to this project in 2018 and observations in Belt Object into sharp focus for the first time [1]. Pluto JHK wavelengths (1.2, 1.6 and 2.2 µm) were obtained is a dynamic body with the first-ever active glaciers on all nights. One night was slightly cirussy, and fur- observed outside the Earth, possible clouds, snow, sea- ther data analysis beyond the usual pipeline processing sonal volatile transport, and at least two types of the [2] is required to fully reduce this data. Luckily, this dark, elusive material that is ubiquitous in the outer night was the least critical, being slightly smaller in Solar System and that may be tied to the origin of life solar phase angle than our fourth night, which was ob- on Earth. But as spectacular as this flyby was, it repre- tained at our maximum phase angle. sented an instant in time, leaving out the long temporal baseline that is required to capture, understand, and Table 1-2018 JHK data obtained at opposition model the seasonal events and the types of geologic Time (civil) Solar phase angle (°) Longitude (°) processes that were observed on Pluto – and that hap- July 11 0.008 35 pen on 100-year time scales, at least. -
The Kuiper Belt: What We Know and What We Don’T
The Kuiper Belt: What We Know and What We Don’t David Jewitt, UCLA, September 2012 The best indication of the significance of the Kuiper belt lies in its multiple connections to other aspects of the Solar system. The dust in the Zodiacal cloud, the rocks in the meteor streams, the nuclei of comets, the Centaurs, perhaps also the irregular moons of the planets and the Trojans that lead and trail planets in their orbits, are all related to the parent population in the Kuiper belt. Further afield, the dusty debris disks of other stars are likely produced by collisional shattering of parent bodies in unseen Kuiper belts about them. Because of these many connections, Kuiper belt science has already had significant impact on the study of the contents, origin and evolution of the Solar system, and on understanding the Solar system in the context set by other stars. While we know much more than we used to, we still don’t know many things about the Kuiper belt. The Solar system formed from a flattened, rotating disk of gas and dust, itself produced by gravitational collapse from the interstellar medium. The explosion of a nearby massive star, a “supernova”, may have provided the initial compression causing the cloud to collapse, as suggested by the products of decay of short-lived radioactive elements (esp. 26Al) embedded in meteorites (Lee et al. 1977, Dauphas and Chaussidon 2011). Planets formed quickly in the dense inner portions of this disk but the process of growth in the rarefied outer regions was very slow.