Beruflich Dokumente
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•Three groups:
• Atens: semi-major axes <1.0 AU; aphelion distance >0.983 AU
• Apollos:semi-major axes >1.0 AU; perihelion distance <1.017 AU
• Amors: perihelion distances between 1.017 and 1.3 AU and
only cross Mars’ orbit
Earth-Crossing Asteroids
• Certain groups of asteroids have
elliptical orbits that cross the orbit
of Earth and other inner planets.
• About 300 asteroids are known to
cross Earth's orbit.
• However, about 1500 unknown
NEO’s are estimated to exist.
• The good news is that none of the
known asteroids will strike the
Earth.
• The bad news is that we have
discovered only a fraction of the
total number of Earth-crossing
asteroids, so there are many for
which we do not know the orbit.
Eros
Close to Earth:Binary Asteroids
Binary asteroids -- two rocky objects
orbiting about one another
appear to be common in Earth-crossing
orbits. If one is ever found headed our
way, it could be double trouble.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2002/release_2002_83.html
Barringer Crater
Chicxulub Crater
The End?
Predicted Annual Number of
Meteorite Falls
AREA
0.1 kg 1.0 kg 10 kg
106 km2 39 8 2
North
America
920 190 38
Land area
Educated guesses about consequences of impacts of various sizes:
from 'The Impact Hazard', by Morrison, Chapman and Slovic,
published in Hazards due to Comets and Asteroids
Interval
(years)
< 50 < 10 <1 meteors in upper atmosphere;
most don't reach surface