Scientists know, keep data on, and track over 600,000 asteroids. Why the preoccupation with asteroids? Well, they range in size from teeny tiny to very huge. They are orbiting in our solar system, most of them orbit in the area between Mars and Jupiter, and sometimes they get close to Earth.... We shouldn't be too alarmed, but there is a chance one of those big asteroids could crash into Earth. Isn't that what happened to the dinosaurs that caused the largest massive extinction the planet has ever seen? That was millions of years ago and there are probably more things to worry about now, than what if something like that happens. This explains scientists preoccupation with asteroids though, no one wants to be blamed for the next mass extinction... Back to asteroids! Depending on where they were formed most are made of sandy materials, metals and iron. Eros shows us how the surface has been bombarded with other celestial bodies or parts of asteroids (meteoroids). Scientists believe if they collected all the asteroids in the Asteroid Belt, held them in a ball with a net, the net would not be as big as our moon. ....Except for one....Ceres. This asteroid was so large, scientists reclassified it as a dwarf planet. (https://earthsky.org/space/top-10-facts-asteroids) After some lengthy data computations and some research sprinkled observations, scientists believe there are only 16, 209 asteroids that are "near" Earth's orbit. "Near" equals asteroids that are 28 million miles away from Earth's orbit. That's not bad! About once a year a car-sized asteroid comes in contact with our atmosphere which produces a very impressive fireball going through the sky. This is the best reaction from a Russian driver when a very large object entered our atmosphere in 2013, breaking the sound barrier, cracking walls and breaking windows. Remember Bennu, this is a particularly impressive asteroid that NASA is studying and possibly bringing samples home with the probe OSIRIS REX. Our chances of being hit by and asteroid are about 1 to 10, 000. Truly there are more things to worry about....but it really is always thrilling to see that flash in the sky when something lights up our atmosphere as it disintegrates in Earth's "force field" (atmosphere).
14 Comments
OLIVER ROPER
1/15/2019 03:43:12 pm
The meteor that destroyed all the dinosaurs must have been pretty LIT. he heehe hehehe heehehe
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aaron
1/15/2019 04:18:32 pm
thats a great reaction
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ianig
1/15/2019 04:41:52 pm
big chungus and i are just really happy to be done with our lab reports
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ian
1/15/2019 04:42:57 pm
i aksadantally wrote my name wrong
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big chungus
1/15/2019 04:45:59 pm
PEOPLE OF EARTH!!!! BUY MY NEW
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Michael Mandaa
1/15/2019 09:19:12 pm
I bought it and it was lit
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Zach
1/15/2019 05:04:08 pm
I thought that the asteroid picture was really cool.
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Taj
1/15/2019 05:23:08 pm
That one guy was triggered when the sun got in his eyes
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1/15/2019 05:33:20 pm
If the light has three big streets of light does that mean it broke three different/same barriers?
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Andrew
1/15/2019 05:44:47 pm
space ships flying in the air. going so fast.
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Alice Watson
1/15/2019 08:48:41 pm
I love the picture of the astroid crashing into Earth. It looks so cool and full of colors
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3/7/2020 03:41:56 am
Alice Watson: Yeah... that is really awesome, glad you like it. Knowing about the asteroids and asteroid belt facts is always cool.
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kaj
1/16/2019 07:15:16 am
the asteroid has a lazer eye
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Mackinna
1/16/2019 10:04:57 am
I love the Russian drivers reaction
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |