|
Asteroids
|
 |
- An asteroid is a small planet that revolves around the sun. The largest asteroid is only about 600 miles in diameter.
- The asteroid belt is a region of the solar system between orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. Most asteroids are found in the asteroid belt.
- The total mass of all the asteroids is less than that of the Moon.
- 11 comets and asteroids have been explored by spacecraft so far. See http://www.nineplanets.org/asteroids.html for details.
- For more information about asteroids, visit http://www.iki.rssi.ru/solar/eng/galileo.htm. It contains information on the Galileo spacecraft, the first spacecraft to encounter an asteroid and to photograph an asteroid's moon. It flew past Gaspra in October 1991 and Ida in August 1993. During these encounters, high resolution images were obtained.
- Astronomers have studied Toutatis and Geographos using Earth-based radar observations during close approaches to the Earth.
- Scientists generated computer models of Castalia using date acquired from radar/radio telescopes.
- Vesta was observed by the Hubble Space Telescope.
|
|
