Download or read book Seven Wonders of Asteroids Comets and Meteors written by Ron Miller and published by Twenty-First Century Books. This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From earliest times, humans have wondered about the sky above them and have studied all visible objects. People began to identify differences between stars and planets, and as technology advanced with telescopes and space probes, they sought deeper understanding of the millions of bits of debris rocketing through the solar system. Scientists determined that most of these objects are left over from the creation of the planets and their moons. They classified these leftovers into categories such as asteroids, comets, and meteors. In this book, we'll explore seven wonders of asteroids, comets, and meteors. Ceres is a huge mountain-sized asteroid that orbits with other asteroids between Mars and Jupiter. Other marvels include Ganymede, the largest asteroid in the group called Earthgrazers or Near-Earth Objects, and Halley's comet, a ball of ice, that passes Earth every seventy-five or so years. We'll also explore the amazing impact that space debris can have on planets and moons. The Borealis Basin, a wondrous crater more than 5,000 miles across, formed when an asteroid collided with Mars in the ancient past. Then we will travel to the far-off Kuiper belt, where as many as 200 million icy bodies orbit, and wonder at the mystery of planetlike objects, such as Pluto and Charon. Finally, we’ll can experience a space wonder firsthand by standing outside on a night in August to watch the spectacular Perseid meteor shower fill the sky.
Download or read book Hazards Due to Comets and Asteroids written by Tom Gehrels and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 1994 with total page 1340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1993, the U.S. Department of Defense declassified information dealing with frequent explosions in the upper atmosphere caused by meteoric impact. It is estimated that impacts have occurred of a magnitude equivalent to the atomic bomb detonated at Hiroshima. Not all such space voyagers meet their end in the atmosphere, however; huge craters attest to the bombardment of earth over millions of years, and a major impact may have resulted in the extinction of dinosaurs. An impact in Siberia near the beginning of this century proves that such events are not confined to geologic time. Hazards Due to Comets and Asteroids marks a significant step in the attempt to come to grips with the threats posed by such phenomena. It brings together more than one hundred scientists from around the world, who draw on observational and theoretical research to focus on the technical problems related to all aspects of dealing with these hazards: searching for and identifying hazardous comets and asteroids; describing their statistics and characteristics; intercepting and altering the orbits of dangerous objects; and applying existent technologies—rocket boosters, rendezvous and soft-landing techniques, instrumentation—to such missions. The book considers defensive options for diverting or disrupting an approaching body, including solar sails, kinetic-energy impacts, nuclear explosives, robotic mass drivers, and various propulsion systems. A cataclysmic impact posing a threat to life on Earth is a possibility that tomorrow's technology is capable of averting. This book examines in depth the reality of the threat and proposes practical measures that can be initiated now should we ever need to deal with it.
Download or read book Comets Asteroids and Meteors written by Dennis B. Fradin and published by Children's Press(CT). This book was released on 1984 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes in simple terms the meteors, comets, and asteroids that are part of our solar system and discusses the various theories concerning their origin and their effect on life on Earth.
Download or read book Pluto s Secret written by Margaret Weitekamp and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2013-03-12 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People, children especially, have been baffled, bewildered, and even outraged by the fact that Pluto is no longer called a planet. Through whimsical artwork and an entertaining dialogue format, Pluto’s Secret explains the true story of this distant world. Providing a history of the small, icy world from its discovery and naming to its recent reclassification, this book presents a fascinating look at how scientists organize and classify our solar system as they gain new insights into how it works and what types of things exist within it. The book includes a glossary and bibliography. Praise for Pluto's Secret "Pairing a lighthearted narrative in a hand-lettered†“style typeface with informally drawn cartoon illustrations, this lively tale of astronomical revelations begins with the search for Planet X.†? —Kirkus Reviews "This picture book offers a fresh, positive perspective on Pluto, showing that its change of status is not a demotion but a correction." —Booklist "Light-hearted imagining of a gregarious Pluto.†? —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Fun reading... The book provides a factual history of our faraway 'dwarf,' and on its companion icy worlds, and on the discovery of Kuiper-like bands around other stars." —School Library Journal Award New York Public Library’s annual Children’s Books list: 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2013
Download or read book Asteroids Comets and Meteors written by Rosalind Mist and published by QED Publishing. This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "An introduction to asteroids, comets, and meteors, including what they are made of, where they are, and how they interact with other bodies of the solar system"--Provided by publisher.
Download or read book 20 Fun Facts About Asteroids and Comets written by Arielle Chiger and published by Gareth Stevens Publishing LLLP. This book was released on 2014-08-01 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most asteroids come from a “belt” that orbits the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Comets are born in the frozen reaches beyond Neptune. Both are remnants leftover from the birth of our solar system billions of years ago. Readers will be amazed to learn all about these fascinating space rocks. The scientific text is paired with stunning photographs and illustrations of cosmic forces at work. A detailed graphic organizer provides a convenient study guide for comparing and contrasting comets and asteroids.
Download or read book Catching Stardust written by Natalie Starkey and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2018-03-08 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'A promising debut.' New Scientist Icy, rocky, sometimes dusty, always mysterious – comets and asteroids are among the Solar System's very oldest inhabitants, formed within a swirling cloud of gas and dust in the area of space that eventually hosted the Sun and its planets. Locked within each of these extra-terrestrial objects is the 4.6-billion-year wisdom of Solar System events, and by studying them at close quarters using spacecraft we can coerce them into revealing their closely-guarded secrets. This offers us the chance to answer some fundamental questions about our planet and its inhabitants. Exploring comets and asteroids also allows us to shape the story of Earth's future, enabling us to protect our precious planet from the threat of a catastrophic impact from space, and maybe to even recover valuable raw materials from them. This cosmic bounty could be as useful in space as it is on Earth, providing the necessary fuel and supplies for humans as they voyage into deep space to explore more distant locations within the Solar System. Catching Stardust tells the story of these enigmatic celestial objects, revealing how scientists are using them to help understand a crucial time in our history – the birth of the Solar System, and everything contained within it.
Download or read book Asteroids Comets and Meteors written by Ron Miller and published by Twenty-First Century Books. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chronicles the formation of the solar system, particularly how asteroids, comets, and meteors were formed, and relates how astronomers learn about the existence and characteristics of these bodies.
Download or read book Killer Rocks from Outer Space written by Steven N. Koppes and published by Twenty-First Century Books. This book was released on 2004-01-01 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the role that collisions with meteors, comets, and asteroids have played in the history of Earth and other planets in the solar system and examines what is being done to protect Earth from future collisions.
Download or read book Meteor Showers and their Parent Comets written by Peter Jenniskens and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006-09-14 with total page 804 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Meteor Showers and their Parent Comets is a unique handbook for astronomers interested in observing meteor storms and outbursts. Spectacular displays of 'shooting stars' are created when the Earth's orbit crosses a meteoroid stream, as each meteoroid causes a bright light when it enters our atmosphere at high speed. Jenniskens, an active meteor storm chaser, explains how meteoroid streams originate from the decay of meteoroids, comets and asteroids, and how they cause meteor showers on Earth. He includes the findings of recent space missions to comets and asteroids, the risk of meteor impacts on Earth, and how meteor showers may have seeded the Earth with ingredients that made life possible. All known meteor showers are identified, accompanied by fascinating details on the most important showers and their parent comets. The book predicts when exceptional meteor showers will occur over the next fifty years, making it a valuable resource for both amateur and professional astronomers.
Download or read book Rogue Asteroids and Doomsday Comets written by Duncan Steel and published by Wiley. This book was released on 1997-09-22 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Could a giant asteroid or comet crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it? Many astronomers who once discredited the risks are now convinced. You will be too after reading Duncan Steel's critically acclaimed examination of the evidence of Earth's encounters with killer comets and asteroids. Acclaim for Rogue Asteroids and Doomsday Comets "A chilling and utterly convincing account of a cosmic menace that must not be ignored any longer. This book is a welcome challenge to the scientific prejudice against catastrophism." --Paul Davies, author of The Mind of God "Written in clear prose for the layperson, this gripping report advocates the creation of an international search program to detect, intercept, and divert Earth-menacing asteroids and comets." --Publishers Weekly. "Steel writes clearly and ominously, and he should be listened to." --The Daily Telegraph (London) A selection of the Astronomy Book Club A Library Journal "Best Science Book of the Year" selection
Download or read book Comets Meteors and Asteroids written by Seymour Simon and published by Paw Prints. This book was released on 2009-06 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores how comets, meteors, and asteroids move through our solar system, and explains the ingredients that make a comet's tail and other topics
Download or read book Guide to the Universe Asteroids Comets and Dwarf Planets written by Andrew S. Rivkin and published by Greenwood. This book was released on 2009-10-15 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Geared toward students, this guide provides an overview of the small bodies that orbit the sun. This volume in the Greenwood Guides to the Universe series covers asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets--those small bodies that revolve the Sun--and provides readers with the most up-to-date understanding of the current state of scientific knowledge about them. Scientifically sound, but written with the student in mind, Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets is an excellent first step for researching the exciting scientific discoveries of the smallest celestial bodies in the solar system. The book will introduce students to all of the areas of research surrounding the subject, answering many intriguing questions. It defines a dwarf planet and explains why Pluto is one. It looks at how such small bodies form, what they are made of, and what kind of atmospheres might they have. And it asks--and answers--whether asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets present a hazard to the Earth or to spacecraft. Thematic chapters enhance understanding of the broad concepts presented 66 illustrations make it easier for students to grasp the subjects discussed A glossary of scientific and astrology-related terms facilitates reading and understanding A bibliography of useful resources puts readers on the right track to learn more about the subjects discussed
Download or read book Mitigation of Hazardous Comets and Asteroids written by M. J. S. Belton and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2004-09-06 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is known that large asteroids and comets can collide with the Earth with severe consequences. Although the chances of a collision in a person's lifetime are small, collisions are a random process and could occur at any time. This book collects the latest thoughts and ideas of scientists concerned with mitigating the threat of hazardous asteroids and comets. It reviews current knowledge of the population of potential colliders, including their numbers, locations, orbits, and how warning times might be improved. The structural properties and composition of their interiors and surfaces are reviewed, and their orbital response to the application of pulses of energy is discussed. Difficulties of operating in space near, or on the surface of, very low mass objects are examined. The book concludes with a discussion of the problems faced in communicating the nature of the impact hazard to the public.
Download or read book Asteroids Comets and Meteors written by Robin Kerrod and published by Lerner Publications. This book was released on 2000-01-01 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduces asteroids, comets and meteors, including their origin, composition, orbits, and effects on Earth and other bodies in the solar system.
Download or read book Asteroids Comets and Meteorites written by Jon Erickson and published by Infobase Publishing. This book was released on 2014-05-14 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Looks at asteroids, comets and meteorites, including what they are, how they are formed, how they have affected the history of Earth, and definitions of related terms.
Download or read book 20 Fun Facts About Asteroids and Comets written by Arielle Chiger and published by Gareth Stevens Publishing LLLP. This book was released on 2014-08-01 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most asteroids come from a “belt” that orbits the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Comets are born in the frozen reaches beyond Neptune. Both are remnants leftover from the birth of our solar system billions of years ago. Readers will be amazed to learn all about these fascinating space rocks. The scientific text is paired with stunning photographs and illustrations of cosmic forces at work. A detailed graphic organizer provides a convenient study guide for comparing and contrasting comets and asteroids.