Asteroids and celestial phenomenon represent exciting stuff in the stars above us that make astronomy so much fun. Some would say “living” because you never know what you will see on any night of stargazing. The truth is that the universe is constantly changing and moving.
There are many asteroids and celestial phenomena, and there is probably none as exciting as when you see your first asteroid on the move across the night sky. Calling asteroids the “rock stars” of astronomy is a bad joke but an accurate depiction of how astronomy fans view them. Unlike suns, planets, and moons, asteroids are on the move, ever-changing, and, if they appear in the night sky, exciting and dynamic.
Asteroids
Asteroids have been given their fair share of urban myth and lore like rock stars. Many have attributed the extinction of the dinosaurs to the impact of a massive asteroid on the earth. This theory has some credibility, and if it is true, it evokes some pretty startling images and foreboding fears in the current reining species on earth, the human race.
Asteroids are fast-moving space debris, making their movement and activity more interesting and exciting. Unlike a moon, planet, or star, the odds that an asteroid could hit the earth are entirely reasonable. Many documented cases of minor asteroids making it through our atmosphere and leaving some pretty impressive craters on the earth’s surface.
Popular culture has happily embraced the idea of an asteroid impact. The idea has spawned many a science fiction story, adding that alien life forms may ride asteroids to our world and start a “war of the worlds” situation.
Capture the Imagination
But by far, the most talked-about concept that has captured the imagination and the fears of science fiction fans and the general public is another asteroid hitting the earth that could wipe out life as allegedly happened to the dinosaurs.
The movie “Armageddon” was based on the idea that humanity somehow could avert that catastrophe with technology.
But probably the best way to calm our fears and replace science fiction with science is with understanding and knowledge. There has been a lot of study of asteroid activity, and the serious scientific community has gained significant knowledge of these incredible celestial bodies.
Several probes to asteroids and celestial phenomena have been conducted, giving us a wealth of information about their composition and how we might predict their behavior.
We now know that most asteroids we get to witness come from an asteroid belt that exists between Mars and Jupiter. Many notable asteroids emerged from this community of asteroids.
Scientists have gained significant knowledge about the composition of asteroids. They have separated them into classes, including class S, which comes from the part of the belt closest to Mars, and classes C, D, and V, classified by composition, as well as a category called “Centaurs,” whose flight patterns take them closer to Jupiter and Uranus.
NASA’s Probes
NASA’s probes on near-flying asteroids have performed pretty impressive studies of these eccentric celestial bodies. In 1994 the Galileo probe got within 1000 miles of the asteroid Ida and discovered that Ida had its moon.
Other probes have fired impactors into asteroids and even landed on an asteroid to produce fantastic scientific data. There is much to learn about asteroids in our love of astronomy, and that knowledge only makes our enjoyment of seeing them in the cosmos even more exciting.
