Amber Reed Quiz

Why is there an asteroid belt? 

Orbital resonances are asteroids in orbital resonance with Jupiter experience periodic nudges. Eventually those nudges move asteroids out of resonant orbits leaving gaps in the belt .

How are meteorites related to asteroids? 
Most meteorites are pieces of asteroids. Meteorites is a air k from Alsace that falls through earths atmosphere. Meteor is the bright trail left by meteorite.

How do comets get their tails? 

Formed beyond the frost line, comets are icy counterparts to asteroids.  Also the nucleus of a comet is Ike a " dirty snowball". Most comets do not have tails. Comets remain perpetually for sun in outer solar system. Only comets that enter in inner solar system grow tails .


How big can a comet be?
Pluto's orbit is tilted and significantly elliptical. Neptune orbits three times during the time Pluto  orbits twice.


What are Pluto and other large objects of the Kuiper belt like? 
It's largest moon, Charon us nearly as large as Pluto itself .Pluto is very cold (40k)and also has a thin nitrogen atmosphere that refreezes onto the surface as pluto's orbit takes it farther from the sun.


Have we ever witnessed a major impact?
Comet SL9 caused a string of violent impacts on Jupiter in 1994 reminding us that catastrophic collisions still happen. Also tidal forces tore it apart during a previous encounter with Jupiter.

Did an impact kill the dinosaurs?
Fossil record shows occasional large dips in the diversity of species:mass extinctions. The most recent was 65million years ago, ending the reign of the dinosaurs. Iridium  is very rare in earth surface rocks but is often found in meteorites. Luis and Walter Alvarez found a worldwide layer containing iridium laid down 65 million years ago probably by a meteorite impact. Dinosaur fossils all lie below this layer.

Is the impact threat a real danger or just media hype? 
Asteroids and comets have hit Earth.  Some major impact is only a matter of time:not IF but WHEN.  Yet major impacts are very rare. Extinction level events~millions of years.  Major damage ~tens to hundreds of years.

How do other planets affect impact rates and life on Earth? 
The Influence of Jovian planets are the gravity of a Jovian planet (especially Jupiter) can redirect a comet . Jupiter has directed some comets towards Earth but has ejected many more into the Oort Cloud. 

Amber Reed