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Understanding Asteroids for Kids

Asteroids are rocky objects that orbit the sun. They range in size from small boulders to over 900 km wide. They formed from collisions in the early solar system. We study asteroids to learn about the formation of the solar system and identify any that could potentially collide with Earth. Large asteroid impacts can cause regional to global catastrophes and even mass extinctions. To address the risk, efforts focus on detecting asteroids, calculating impact risks, and developing strategies to deflect or destroy asteroids if needed. The document provides information on asteroid sizes, locations, origins, observation methods, examples of asteroid discoveries and visits, impact threats over time, and current asteroid tracking and defense strategies.

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11 views55 pages

Understanding Asteroids for Kids

Asteroids are rocky objects that orbit the sun. They range in size from small boulders to over 900 km wide. They formed from collisions in the early solar system. We study asteroids to learn about the formation of the solar system and identify any that could potentially collide with Earth. Large asteroid impacts can cause regional to global catastrophes and even mass extinctions. To address the risk, efforts focus on detecting asteroids, calculating impact risks, and developing strategies to deflect or destroy asteroids if needed. The document provides information on asteroid sizes, locations, origins, observation methods, examples of asteroid discoveries and visits, impact threats over time, and current asteroid tracking and defense strategies.

Uploaded by

Рыжков Владислав
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

What is an Asteroid?

Asteroid Sizes
Where are they?

Where do they come from?


1

2
1

4 3
How do we study asteroid?
LINEAR NEO Search Systems
Asteroids: Years of Discovery

1
Hubble!
EROS Asteroid 433
Hayabusa Visiting Asteroid Itokawa
Hayabusa Visiting Asteroid Itokawa
Why are we interested in
Asteroids?
What happens if an Asteroid hits the
Earth?
Civilization Threatening Impact
Mass Extinction Impact

Earth Sterilizing Impact


What Happens When an Impact Takes
Place?
Bolides (up to 5 MT)
• Great fireworks display, no damage
Tunguska-class (15 MT) impact
• Damage similar to large nuclear bomb (city-killer)
• Average interval for whole Earth: 100 yr.
• Minor risk relative to other natural disasters
(earthquakes, etc.)
Larger local or regional catastrophes (e.g. 10,000 MT)
• Destroys area equivalent to small country
• Average interval for whole Earth: 100,000 yr.
• Moderate risk relative to other natural disasters
Global catastrophe (> 1 million MT)
• Global environmental damage, threatening civilization
• Average interval for whole Earth: 1 million years
• Major risk relative to other natural disasters
Could it Happen?
Terrestrial Impact
Frequency
Hiroshima
year

Tunguska
century
Tsunami
danger
ten thousand yr.
Global
catastrophe
million yr.
K/T

billion yr.
0.01 1 100 10,000 million 100 million

TNT equivalent yield (MT)


What Can We Do?
Strategies
• Detect
Project NEO (Near Earth Objects)
[Link]
• Deflect
Gravitational Tractor
Impactor
• Destroy
LINEAR NEO Search Systems
Questions??
Civilization Threatening Impact
Mass Extinction Impact
Earth Sterilizing Impact
Known Kilometer-Size Near Earth
Asteroids
1000 estimated total NEAs > 1 km

500

1990 1995 2000


Spaceguard official start
Looks like a potato?

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