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ASTEROIDS AND METEORITES
Which is the diference between asteroids and meteorites?
An asteroid is a minor planet. They are small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. There are
thousands of them grouped in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They are smaller than planets but larger than meteoroids. An asteroid can range from a
few meters wide to hundreds of km wide. In general, they are rocky bodies that do not have an atmosphere, although some have a high metallic content. A few have
their own moons.
A meteorite is any object that has entered the atmosphere of another object and
survived to impact the surface. Mostly they come from asteroids and comets. They
become meteors when they fall through a planet’s atmosphere; leaving a bright trail as they are heated by the friction of the atmosphere, they are shooting stars.
Asteroids
We can find the biggest concentration of asteroids in the asteroid belt. It was formed during the formation of the
solar system. The agrupation of this asteroids could have formed a new planet but due to the gravitational
force of Jupiter, it couldn't.Since their creation until now, the asteroid belt have
changed a lot due to space weathering from radiation, surface melting from impacts and bombardment by
meteorites.
Ceres
In 1801, Giuseppe Piazzi discovered by accident the first asteroid called Ceres, and was originally considered a new planet. This was followed by the discovery of other similar bodies, which, with the equipment of the time,
appeared to be points of light, like stars, but they could be distinguished from stars due to their apparent
motions. Ceres is located between Mars and Jupiter.
Vesta
Main asteroids
Pallas
JunoEros
Meteorites
We can classify meteorites depending on their composition:
-Chondrites. They are stony meteorites that have not been modified due to melting.
-Achondrites. It is a stony meteorite. It consists of material similar to terrestrial basalts or plutonic rocks. They have been exposed to a high degree due to melting.
-Iron meteorites. They are meteorites that are made of nickel and iron.
-Stony-iron meteorites. are meteorites that consist of nearly equal parts of meteoric iron and silicates.
Most meteorite falls are easily seen by its fireball or the impact of the object on the ground.
Meteorites can fall with the same probability everywhere on Earth, but meteorite falls tend to
be concentrated in areas with high human population densities such as Europe, Japan, and
northern India.
Meteorite falls
MARIA BINIMELIS RAMON
MARIA ANTÒNIA LLINÀS NICOLAU
