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Asteroids are solid objects which orbit within the Solar System. They are generally made out of rock or metal, although many asteroids are known to contain ice and dust. Nearly all known asteroids originate from a region between Mars and Jupiter called the Asteroid Belt.
On March 18, 2009, an asteroid measuring 43 feet by 95 feet came within 49,000 miles of the Earth. The asteroid, named 2009 FH, was only discovered two nights prior to its fly by. However, officials say that there was never any real danger of a collision. This marks the second near miss asteroid to come this close to the Earth undetected in the same month.FOX New: Close Call: ... (March 18, 2009)
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Fast Facts
- Generally made up of rock and/or metal
- Sizes range between 1 and 940 kilometers
- There are over 90,000 documented asteroids
- Believed to be left over material from the formation of the Solar System
- First observed in the 1800s
- Name derived from Greek, meaning "star-like"NASA: Solar System Exploration - Asteroids
- First asteroid discovered: Ceres
- Ceres was later reclassified as a dwarf planet
- Most asteroids are found within the main asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter
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Types of Asteroids
- C-Type
- Also known as carbonaceous objects
- Carbon-rich, rocky composition
- Classify about three-quarters of known asteroids
- S-Type
- Also known as silicaceous objects
- Made mostly of Iron-rich rock
- Classify about one-sixth of known asteroidsNASA: Solar System Exploration - Asteroids
- C-Type
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Near Misses
On March 2, 2009, asteroid 2009 DD45 passed at 41,010 miles miles above the earth. The "surprise asteroid" was not identified until February 28, 2009, when it was discovered an image taken at the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia.National Geographic: Surprise Asteroid Buzzed Earth Monday (March 2, 2009) -
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The Mahalo Top 7
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Space.com: All About Asteroids
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FOX News: Close Call: Newly Discovered Asteroid Whizzes Past Earth
foxnews.com (March 18, 2009) -
Wikipedia: Asteroid
en.wikipedia.org -
NASA: Lunar and Planetary Science: Asteroids
nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov -
Solar Views: Asteroid Introduction
solarviews.com -
NASA: Solar System Exploration: Asteroids
solarsystem.nasa.gov -
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research: Asteroids
windows.ucar.edu
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Space.com: All About Asteroids
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Asteroids on Twitter Powered by Twitter
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Binary Asteroids in the Near-Earth Object Population -- Margot et... http://tinyurl.com/ycspfbo
@claude2w5x8 | November 09, 2009 07:56 AM -
@RaviKapoor There are more idiots in the world than asteroids in space.Got to ignore them
@singhsarbjit | November 09, 2009 07:14 AM -
but i'm not a scholar. so i'll go back and play with asteroids right now.
@northanger | November 09, 2009 06:17 AM -
Rogue Asteroids and Their Danger to Earth http://cinegirlz.com/u/nnr
@pauldelane | November 09, 2009 05:42 AM -
Why are they called "hemorrhoids". They should be called "asteroids"?
@4Spirit1 | November 09, 2009 04:57 AM
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Asteroids on Amazon | View All
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Asteroid - $24.98
When Colorado astronomer Dr. Lily McKee discovers that an approaching comet has dislodged several giant asteroids, propelling them on a crash course with Earth, she contacts Federal Emergency Management Director Jack Wallach to help handle ...
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Planet Heroes - Asteroid "Tiny" - $10.00
With the powerful, sinister Black Hole "Professor Darkness" intent on destroying the solar system, a day seldom passes without the discovery of some new danger or disaster about to strike at the inhabitants of the peaceful planets. One o...
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Retro Atari Classics (Asteroids, Missle Command, Centipede) - $14.99
Atari Classics collects some of the original arcade legends and adds a new hi-tech twist. Each game has an original version as well as a Remix Mode, where three legendary graffiti artists have tagged the classics with their own funky street...
Amazon
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Questions and Answers About Asteroids | View All | Ask a Question
View All Asteroids Questions (14) | Ask a QuestionWhat are the top five largest asteroid impacts on earth? (1 Answer)The Top Five largest Asteroid impacts on Earth (plus the next five): The largest asteroid (in fact a planetoid) ever to hit Earth was Theia, a Mars-sized cellestial body formed ... read moreHow improbable is the claim of life from asteroids? (1 Answer)oHere is something I have thought about for while so I will offer my 2 cents, the solar system makes trip around the Galaxy about every 220 million years, and ... read moreHow do scientist prove the craters on the moon formed from asteroids and not volcanos? (1 Answer)It is just a theory. I have watched a documentary on National Geographic Channel saying that the earth was formed from colliding asteroids. One asteroid, which stayed in the earth's ... read moreSuppose the asteroid Apophis is on a collision course with Earth, could a powerful laser or energy beam be created to destroy it? (4 Answers)"By now, we have all heard about a handful of asteroids that are big enough to level a city or two and have a small but non-negligible chance of hitting ... read more
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Potentially Hazardous Asteroids
- Wikipedia: Potentially Hazardous Asteroid
- Wikipedia: Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale
- NASA: Potentially Hazardous Asteroids
- NASA: Orbits of All Known Potentially Hazardous Asteroids
- NASA: Near-Earth Asteroid Discovery Statistics
- NASA: Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards
- NASA: The Torino Impact Scale
- NASA: Current Impact Risks
- The Open University: Rocks From Space: Near-Earth Objects
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