Part I : Asteroids and comets

I. History First Chinese reports in 467 B.C Greeks thought it was an atmospheric phenomenon Lots of sightings in many different cultures A. Ancient times Comets in China 300 B.C

Comets remains an unpredictable and erratic event They are feared Comets are associated with starvation, wars and illness. B. From ancient times to middle age Halley's comet during the Norman invasion of England

Storms and fires following a comet (1453)

C. First scientific studies After Kepler published his famous laws, english scientist Edmond Halley tries to prove them. He found the answer in Newton’s new theories of gravitation. He convinces Newton to publish his work on universal gravitation (Principia) Edmond Halley

Then he applies Kepler’s and Newton’s laws to the comet he observed in He deduces that the comet sighting of 1456, 1531, 1607 and 1682 are related to the same comet. Later scientists will call it : Halley’s comet Halley ’s comet in 1986

In 1800, he tries to verify the Titus-Bode law : According to this laws, a planet should be located somewhere between Mars and Jupiter. In 1801, he found this planet : Ceres which is actually the biggest known asteroid. Ceres and the moon

II. Definition and description Identity : - Size : 1 to 50 km - Weight : - Composition : Ice, dust and other volatile elements such as methane. - Speed : up to km/h when it approach the Sun. A. Comets Comet Hyakutake (1998)

Very irregular forms and composition. Ice is usually located in the core whereas dust is on the surface Average diameter for comets is 10 km The core

The coma Due to solar wind and solar radiation, a lot a gas and dust is ejected when the comet passes near the Sun. The result of that is the famous comet tails : - One tail is made of gas and points directly away from the Sun - The other tail is curved, less affected by solar wind and is left behind comet’s orbit.

The dust tail can reach a size of km (diameter of the Sun) The ion/gas tail can reach a size of km (Earth-Sun distance)

B. Asteroid (minor planet) and meteoroid Identity : - Size : 1 cm to 1000 km - Weight : - Composition : Different types of rocks (carbon, siliceous and metallic) - Speed 1000 to km/s at Earth’s orbit.

Number of asteroid decreases as its mass increases Small ones have irregular forms, bigger ones tend to be spherical. Asteroid classification : C-type : Carbonaceous -> 75 % S-type : Silicaceous -> 12 % L-type : Metallic -> 8 %

III. Origin, location and orbit 4,6 billion years ago an matter disk is formed around the Sun Birth of planets by the phenomenon of accretion Small objects attrack each other and stick together to form bigger objets. Volatile elements (ice and methane tends to

Because of the important mass of Jupiter, the planet that should have existed between Mars and Jupiter fails to birth leaving behind an asteroid belt. Same thing goes for the Kuiper’s belt and Neptune.

The asteroid belt and its known asteroid. Current estimations say there could have up to 10 million bodies.