Asteroids and Their Characteristics

Vocabulary flashcards centered on asteroids and their properties based on lecture notes.

Asteroid

Remains of planetesimals that weren’t swept up by other planets.

Asteroid Belt

Region between Mars and Jupiter where most asteroids are located.

Vesta

The second biggest asteroid, visited by the probe Dawn.

Kirkwood Gaps

Regions in the asteroid belt caused by Jupiter's gravity.

Trojan Asteroids

Asteroids located in the orbit of a planet or at a LaGrange point.

Earth-crossing asteroid

Asteroid that poses a risk of collision with Earth.

Asteroid families

Fragments of asteroids that can orbit together in space.

NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous)

A probe that visited the asteroids Eros and Mathilde.

Collision

An event where two asteroids may crash into each other.

LaGrange Point

Positions in space where gravitational forces create stability for objects.