Astr 1050    Mon., May 3, 2004

Chapter 19:  Meteorites, Asteroids, Comets

Asteroids

Meteorites from Asteroids

The larger asteroids

Are Asteroids Primitive?

Another Galileo Asteroid:  Gaspra

Phobos & Deimos:  Two “misplaced” asteroids?

Clues from Meteorites

Origin of different asteroid types

Meteors vs. Meteorites

Large Meteor over the Tetons (1972)

The Leonids  2001

Meteor Showers and Comets

Comets:         Hale-Bopp in April 1997

Comet characteristics

Comet structure

Hale-Bopp clearly shows components

Where do comets come from?
Long period comets:  The Oort Cloud

Formation of Oort cloud comets

Where do the Jupiter family comets come from?:
  The recently discovered Kuiper Belt

Pluto and Charon

Importance of comets