Asteroid Definition and 285 Threads

I'm working on a potential posting about the total economic value of all possible mined ores in the asteroid belt. This is something of an experimental draft to follow below. The total mass of the asteroid belt has a minimum and maximum estimate. What is 3.0Kg to the 1021st power Minimum...

Homework Statement At a time when mining asteroids has become feasible, astronauts have connected a line between their 3500 kg space tug and 6200 kg asteroid. Using their ship's engine, they pull on the asteroid with a force of 490 N. Initially the tug and the asteroid are at rest, 450 m apart...

Homework Statement A spherical asteroid of mass m_0 is moving freely in interstellar space (no external forces) with velocity v_0 . It runs into a dust cloud whose uniform density is \rho_d Assume that every particle of dust that hits the asteroid sticks to it and that the asteroid remains...

Hello all, This NASA press release indicated that there is less likely hood of an encounter with the Apophis asteroid in 2036. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/oct/HQ_09-232_Apophis_Update.html Thanks Matt

Next year the Hyabusa spacecraft will return to Earth from the asteroid Itokawa. Inspired by this, you are required to report on your individual study of the following: The free trajectory options, associated Δv requirements and mission times to take a spacecraft from a low Earth orbit...

Yes I know someone else has posted something similar but I was wondering if capturing an 150 meter asteroid is possible in Earth orbit? Also can it be done by adjusting the delta v way out from Earth using the tug of a probe that you send to do such a job? (And maybe a final slow down with the...

If asteroid belt objects are in part iron, is this then consistent with such differentiated pieces being solidified remains of a liquid core(s) of previous colliding planetesimals? p.s. total mass of asteroid belt may be just 4% of moon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_belt"

if a flashlight is moving at half the speed of light and sending out light at a relative speed of c and then the flashlight runs into an asteroid and wham, it stops moving relative to the asteroid, does the light that has already been sent out put on its retro rockets so that is can resume its...

Homework Statement Hello all, I am really having trouble with following. I want to find the answer myself, but i do not know what equation/s i should apply to solve the problem. My Question. How long will it take to deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth by...

Hello all, I am really having trouble with following. I want to find the answer myself, but i do not know what equation/s i should apply to solve the problem. My Question. How long will it take to deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth by attaching a 2000N thruster. I...

There is an Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. I have a few questions about it. Where does it start and end (Radius from the Sun)? Also, the Right Ascensions and Declinations of the extents of the belt or if it is continuous around the sun? I know that some of the larger asteroids...

Hi all Have been thinking about this for sometime, what is the fundamental difference that makes an asteroid an object orbitting around the star at a lesser speed and not a comet? Hope my question is clear, framing it otherwise why do asteroids not turn into raging comets or comets into...

Suppose we want to use an asteroid to build a large space station. We could alter the course of a asteroid so that it will come very close to Earth, but the velocity relative to Earth will then be more than the escape velocity of 11.2 km/s. Presumably we must use aerobraking to let it lose...

Homework Statement Asteroids have average densities of about 2,660 kg/m3 and radii from 470 km down to less than a kilometer. Assuming that the asteroid has a spherically symmetric mass distribution, estimate the radius of the largest asteroid from which you could escape simply by jumping off...

1. The problem statement, Suppose that a compact asteroid with mass Ma=2.5x10^15kg is on a collision course with Earth (Me=5.974x10^24kg, Re=6.278x10^6m). At t=0 it's velocity is 5kms-1 directly towards the Earth and it is at a distance of 25000km from the surface. i) Derive an...

Homework Statement Suppose an asteroid of mass 1 1019 kg is nearly at rest outside the solar system, far beyond Pluto. It falls toward the Sun and crashes into the Earth at the equator, coming in at an angle of 30 degrees to the vertical as shown, against the direction of rotation of the...

Wow! millions of people could have died yesterday, if perhaps some random intergalactic tug pushed the sucker on a trajectory towards earth. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7921279.stm

On the night of March 1st, actually March 2nd UTC a small asteroid (2009 DD45) will pass very close to earth. Something within 0.00030 lunar distances. It will unfortunately (and then perhaps very fortunately) in all probability not be visible to the unaided eye. If it was very bright in the...

Homework Statement Homework Equations 1.) m1*v1 + m2*v2 = m1'*v1' + m2'*v2' Where the ' denotes the velocity/mass after the event/whatever. 2.) 0.5m1(v1)^2 + 0.5m2(v2)^2 = 0.5m1'(v1')^2 + 0.5m1'(v1')^2 The Attempt at a Solution I know its a conservation of momentum style of problem...

Homework Statement The escape speed from a very small asteroid is only 32 m/s. If you throw a rock away from the asteroid at a speed of 44 m/s, what will be its final speed? Homework Equations Ki + Ui = 1/2mv^2 + (-GMm/R) = 0 (for v<<c) The Attempt at a Solution I am unsure of how to do...

Homework Statement A NASA satellite has just observed an asteroid that is on a collision course with the Earth. The asteroid has an estimated mass, based on its size, of 5 × 10^9 kg. It is approaching the Earth on a head-on course with a velocity of 611 m/s relative to the Earth and is now 5.0...

What do you think is the best statergy for destroying a 6 km wide asteroid which is heading towards the earth. Do you think it is possible to develop "clean fusion Nucs" which can be deployed from spacesations to intercept such a large asteroid also if a fusion bomb were to fall appart in...

Homework Statement A 4.50 x 10^4 kg asteroid has 6.20 x 10^12 J of kinetic energy. What is the speed of that asteroid? Homework Equations W=Fd P=W/T P=Fv The Attempt at a Solution V=p/f V=(6.2 x 10^12)/((4.50 x 10^4 kg)(9.8) V=1.41 x 10^7 m/s I am wondering about the...

Why doesn't the asteroid belt block our view of the jovial planets? I'm assuming it's because the asteroids are just too few, far apart, and small to affect our view, but I'm not sure and I'd like to know. Thanks!

Homework Statement The asteroid has a mass of 4.10 x 10^4 kg, and the force causes its speed to change from 7100 m/s to 5700 m/s. If the asteroid slows down over a distance of 1.50 x 10^6 m, determine the magnitude F of the force. Homework Equations w = -3.6736e11 J (I figured...

Homework Statement An astronaut of mass 60 kg and a small asteroid of mass 40 are initially at rest with respect to the space station. The astronaut pushes the asteroid with a constant force of magnitude 250N for 0.35s. Gravitational forces are negligible. A)How far apart are the astronaut and...

Given the frequency of relatively minor asteroidal impacts, similar to the Tunguska event, it seems to me that ancient literature would be rife with stories of them, probably interpreted as acts of the gods or God. For example, in the Bible is the story (2Samuel 24 and 1Chronicles 21) of David...

If the Earth's period is 365.25 days and its distance to the (center of the) Sun is one astronomical unit (AU), what is the period, to the nearest day, of an asteroid in a circular orbit about the Sun with a radius of 3.04 AU? please show steps so that I can learn. thanks a lot.

In looking at the Martian hemispheric dichotomy (significant differences in the Martian crust over a large radius) simulations suggest that Mars was hit by something like a 1000 to 1700 mile wide asteroid about 4 billion years ago. http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=giant-asteroid-flattened...

Homework Statement Consider an asteroid with an iron core \rho_m = 8000 kg\; m^{-3} covered by a thin silicate mantle \rho_m = 3500 kg\; m^{-3} with a thickness of 20% the raidus R of the asteroid. Assume that the internal temp is T_i = 600K and is constant throughout the core due to...

I was doing some reading on the effects of air blasts from asteroid impacts when I realized that I've never seen any data of the potential effect on marine life. Since sound travels farther and faster in a liquid, wouldn't an asteroid impact in a large ocean (liquid) have a more profound...

Homework Statement Suppose that an asteroid traveling straight toward the center of the Earth were to collide with our planet at the equator and bury itself just below the surface. Now The question asks: What would have to be the mass of this asteroid, in terms of the Earth's mass {\rm M}...

Consider an asteroid with an iron core (pc = 8000kg/m^3) covered by a thin silicate mantle (pm = 3400kg/m^3) with a thickness of 20% of the radius R of the asteroid. Assume that the internal temperature Ti = 600K is constant throughout the core. The thermal energy of the core is 3*k*Ti per...

Homework Statement The rotation period of a small asteroid is 10.21 revolutions per day. What is the minimum density for this object?Homework Equations The Attempt at a SolutionI should be able to use angular momentum right? I'm trying to do this by approximating the asteroid as a sphere and...

Planetary Society Names Winners of $50,000 Asteroid Tagging Competition http://www.planetarysociety.org/about/press/releases/2008/0226_Planetary_Society_Names_Winners_of.html I'm sure this will make the news periodically over the next 21 years.

Homework Statement A 4.50E10 kg asteroid is heading directly toward the center of the Earth at a steady 16.0 km/s. To save the planet, astronauts strap a giant rocket to the asteroid perpendicular to its direction of travel. The rocket generates 5.0E9 N of thrust. The rocket is fired when the...

I'm currently in grade 12 physics. For my summative project in the class (which is worth a large part of my final mark) I have to think of three separate ways to divert a large asteroid away from hitting earth. We were each given a real object and stats on the object. My first problem is that...

The asteroid 2007 WD5 was reported as having a 1 in 75 chance of hitting Mars on January 30, 2008. This was based on observations through December 21, 2007. New observations are in. It's predicted path is getting closer to Mars. The media won't run another story until NASA makes another...

I don't know much about Astronomy or physics. But I am researching to write a fantasy book set in a historical age where Earth has 2 moons and in a sub-plot one is hit by an asteroid and destroyed. We know what the effect of an asteroid hitting Earth is. What about it hitting the moon, a...

I had a vivid nightmare the other night where I went outside in broad daylight and saw that the moon was not only visible but also enormous. I saw people running around in a state of panic and asked one of them what was going on. He told me a large asteroid had struck the moon on the side...

Hi guys, Do any of you know where I can find an asteroid database. I have sky coordinates (RA and Dec) and Julian date and I want to search to see if there are any asteroids around the provided coordinates at the given date. I guess a better question would be if there is actually a...

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/10/03/takei.asteroid.ap/index.html :approve:

Of an asteroid whose Mass is 2.0*10^-2 times that of Earth's and whose distance from the sun is twice the Earth's distance from the sun. Find the period in years. I am supposed to use the concept of gravitational F=centripital force=m\frac{v^2}{r} and the fact that v=\frac{2\pi r}{T} so this...

Sorry guys, one more question for now. It is the only other one I couldn't really get on this homework assignment. Homework Statement An astronaut is about to explore an asteroid of average density \rho=5000 kg/m^3. He is worried that he may accidentally jump from its surface and float off...

Homework Statement An astronaut's pack weighs 15.3 N when she is on Earth but only 3.05 N when she is at the surface of an asteroid. a. What is the acceleration due to gravity on this asteroid? B. what is the mass of the pack on the asteroid? Homework Equations ok, I know I have to...

Homework Statement This is a 5-part problem. In June 1997 the NEAR spacecraft ("Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous"; see http://near.jhuapl.edu/), on its way to photograph the asteroid Eros, passed within D=1200 km of asteroid Mathilde at a speed of 10 km/s relative to the asteroid...

I was looking at this picture of the asteroid belt on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:InnerSolarSystem-en.png And assuming that the picture is somewhat accurate in the placing of distance between objects in the solar system, I couldn’t help but wonder if it’s possible that the...

I am trying to solve a physics problem involving the velocity of Earth and primitive earth. I have solved it using m1v1+m2v2=(m1+m2)v2 for inelastic equation and get a velocity of 29.65 km/s. Which I think is incorrect since the Earth's rotational velocity today is 30 km/s. But I can't figure...

I've been wondering- what would happen to an asteroid striking the deep ocean? On land they leave fairly massive craters, but at sea, would there be an impact crater on the floor, or would the resistance of the water reduce the asteroid to a fine sediment before it could impact with the bottom?

Hi everyone, this problem is truly pain in the a**. I understand that Newton's third law applies here, but whatever I have tried nothing worked out. I know that the force applied is the same in magnitude, but opposite in the direction and accelerations of these two masses are different...but no...