August 1, 2024
SHEETAL KUMARI
Asteroids are rocky bodies that orbit the Sun, primarily found in the asteroid belt. They vary in size and composition, with some being metallic and others made of silicate rock. Ceres, discovered in 1801, is the largest known asteroid.
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Meteoroids are small space bodies that become meteors when burning up in Earth's atmosphere, often seen as shooting stars. The destructive 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor explosion highlights the importance of studying these Celestial bodies.
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The Oort Cloud is a hypothetical shell of icy bodies surrounding the solar system, proposed by Jan Oort in 1950. It's believed to be the source of long-period comets, and studying these objects could reveal more about the solar system's outer regions.
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Trojan asteroids orbit alongside larger planets, residing at stable Lagrange points. The Jupiter Trojans, discovered in 1906, are the most well-known, and NASA's Lucy mission is studying them to uncover their composition and origin, shedding light on the early solar system's formation.
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Image Credit: Canva
Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) are icy bodies beyond Neptune's orbit, including Pluto, which has a complex surface with mountains and plains. The New Horizons mission revealed detailed images of Pluto, providing clues about the solar system's early history and formation.
Centaurs are small celestial bodies orbiting between Jupiter and Neptune, with characteristics of both asteroids and comets. They originate from the Kuiper Belt and have unstable orbits, sometimes becoming short-period comets, offering insights into the outer solar system's dynamics.
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Meteorites are fragments of meteoroids that land on Earth, classified into stony, iron, and stony-iron types. The Hoba meteorite is the largest known, weighing 60 tons. Meteorites like Allende provide valuable insights into the early solar system's formation and planetary materials.
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Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) are celestial bodies beyond Neptune's orbit, including KBOs and scattered disk objects. Eris, discovered in 2005, is one of the largest TNOs, surpassing Pluto in mass. TNOs offer insights into the solar system's formation and evolution through their diverse compositions and orbits.
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Dwarf planets are celestial bodies that orbit the Sun and are nearly round, but haven't cleared their orbital path. The five recognized dwarf planets are Pluto, Eris, Haumea, Makemake, and Ceres, each offering unique insights into the solar system's diversity and complexity.
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Comets are icy bodies from the outer solar system that vaporize near the Sun, creating a glowing coma and tail. Halley's Comet is a famous example, returning every 76 years. The Rosetta mission's Philae probe landed on Comet 67P, revealing its composition in unprecedented detail.
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