Exam 14: Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

Asteroid 2004 FH passed within a tenth of the Earth-Moon distance in March 2004.When its period was found to be about nine months,it was classified as a(n):

Before it arrived in orbit about Eros,the NEAR spacecraft also flew past:

Dactyl was photographed by the Galileo spacecraft.It is:

Most meteor showers occur ________,as we again intersect the comet's orbit.

We find that near perihelion,Pluto temporarily develops a(n)________.

Carbonaceous meteorites are believed to come from:

What arguments are cited for the existence of the Oort Cloud of comets?

The major impact in the Yucatan wiped out the dinosaurs:

There are three classes of asteroids,based on their surface reflectivities.Name them,and describe their composition in terms of the differentiation process.

Large meteoroids are thought to collide with Earth:

Based on observations by the Dawn spacecraft,scientists have concluded that Vesta might be:

Which of the following is definitely NOT a dwarf planet?

Pluto is visible to the naked eye on extremely dark nights.

Pluto's density is most similar to:

The Apollo and Aten asteroids have orbits that:

From its orbit,we now recognize Pluto as one of the largest members of the:

The NASA orbiter that ultimately landed on the surface of the asteroid Eros was:

Small icy bodies in the solar system which travel about the Sun in highly eccentric orbits and come from all directions are ________.

How does the discovery of a comet typically differ from that of an asteroid?

What are the Aten asteroids?