APS 105: Asteroids

Vocabulary flashcards covering the properties, classifications, and notable examples of asteroids from the APS 105 lecture.

Asteroid Belt

The region between Mars ($1.5\,\text{AU}$) and Jupiter ($5.2\,\text{AU}$) that contains no planet, only a large collection of small, rocky bodies.

Asteroids

Small, rocky bodies orbiting the Sun that can be rocky, metallic, or a mix (some containing ice), whose total combined mass is less than the mass of the Moon.

Ceres

The largest asteroid and dwarf planet, measuring $933\,\text{km}$ in diameter, known for being roundish, containing ice, and being a potential source of water.

Main-belt Asteroid

An asteroid with an orbital distance greater than $1.3\,\text{AU}$ ($> 1.3\,\text{AU}$).

Near-Earth Object (NEO)

An object, such as an asteroid, that has an orbital distance of less than $1.3\,\text{AU}$ ($< 1.3\,\text{AU}$).

Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)

An asteroid with an orbital trajectory that crosses Earth's orbital distance of $1\,\text{AU}$.

Rubble Pile

A structure typical of most large asteroids, consisting of loose, shattered collections of rock pieces held together after severe impacts.

Meteorites

Extraterrestrial fragments found on Earth, thousands of which originate from collisions within the asteroid belt.

Itakawa

An asteroid presented as an example of a heavily cratered 'rubble pile' composed of shattered rocky pieces.