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PH1600: Introductory Astronomy
Lecture 10: Pluto, Minor Planets, and Asteroids
PH1600: Introductory Astronomy
Lecture 10: Pluto, Dwarf Planets, and
Asteroids
Next Lecture: Comets and Meteors
School: Michigan Technological University
Professor: Robert Nemiroff
Online Course WebCT pages:
http://courses.mtu.edu/
This class can be taken online ONLY, class
attendance is not required!
You are responsible for…
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Lecture material
Listed wikipedia entries
 But not higher math
APODs posted during the semester
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APOD review every week during lecture
Completing the Quizzes
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Homework quizzes 1 - 4 already due
Homework 5 quiz due soon
See WebCT at http://courses.mtu.edu/
Wikipedia entries:
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Pluto
Minor planet
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Ceres_(dwarf_planet)
Haumea_(dwarf_planet)
Makemake_(dwarf_planet)
Eris_(dwarf_planet)
Asteroid
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Dwarf Planets
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Designation created by IAU during
2006 summer
Criteria
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Spherical
Orbit the Sun
Swept out surrounding orbit
Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Makemake,
Haumea
Eight Planets and New Solar System Designations
Credit: International Astronomical Union
APOD: 2006 August 28
Our Busy Solar System
Credit & Copyright: MPC, CBAT, Harvard CfA, IAU
APOD: 2006 March 19
Pluto (Dwarf Planet)
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Discovered in 1930
Large Moon: Charon
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Diameter: 2/3 smaller than Earth’s Moon
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Radius=1,200 km
Orbit between 30 and 50 AU
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Smaller Moons: Nix & Hydra
Usually outside of Neptune
Period: 248 Earth years
Composed of rock and water ice
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Thin nitrogen atmosphere
Pluto in True Color
Credit: Eliot Young (SwRI) et al., NASA
APOD: 2006 September 3
Mysterious Pluto and Charon
Credit: . W. Buie (Lowell Observatory) et al.
APOD: 2000 April 9
Nix and Hydra
Image Credit: M. Mutchler (STScI) et al., ESA, NASA
APOD: 2006 June 24
New Horizons Launches to Pluto
Image Credit & Copyright: Ben Cooper
APOD: 2006 January 24
Kepler’s Three Laws
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1st Law: Planets orbits in ellipses
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Sun at one focus
2nd Law: Planets sweep out equal
areas in equal times
3rd Law: Orbit: Period2 ~ Radius3/M
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler%27s_laws
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kepler-second-law.svg
Ceres: Asteroid or Planet?
Credit: NASA, ESA, J. Parker (SwRI) et al.
APOD: 2006 August 21
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ceres_Earth_Moon_Comparison.png
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ceres_Orbit.svg
Small Worlds Ceres and Vesta
Credit : NASA, ESA, L.McFadden at al.
APOD: 2007 June 22
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:EightTNOs.png
Eris: The Largest Known Dwarf Planet
Credit & Copyright: W. M. Keck Observatory
APOD: 2006 September 18
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Eris_Orbit.svg
Makemake of the Outer Solar System Credit:
R. Hurt (SSC-Caltech),
JPL-Caltech, NASA
APOD: 2008 July 16
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Haumea of the Outer Solar System
Illustration Credit: NASA
APOD: 2008 September 23
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Red = Pluto
Green= Haumea
Blue = Makemake
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makemake_(dwarf_planet)#Orbit_and_classification
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Quaoar: Large Asteroid in the Outer Solar System
Credit: Chad Trujillo & Michael Brown (Caltech)
APOD: 2002 October 9
Asteroids
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All over our Solar System
Unlike comets, show no tail or coma
Most in main asteroid belt
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Ceres
Also called Minor Planets
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Apollo: Earth-orbit crossing
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Near Earth Objects (NEOs)
Kuiper belt objects
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Also called Trans-Neptunian Objects
Pluto & Charon
Other dwarf planets & minor planets
Surely more out there
Ida and Dactyl: Asteroid and Moon
Credit: Galileo Project, JPL, NASA
APOD: 2004 June 19
Asteroid Gaspra's Best Face
Credit: The Galileo Project, NASA
APOD: 1998 July 12
NEAR Mathilde
Credit: NEAR Spacecraft Team, JHUAPL, NASA
APOD: 1997 June 30
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:WholeEros.jpg
Flying Over Asteroid Eros
Credit: NEAR Shoemaker Project, JHU APL, NASA
APOD: 2000 March 27
The Regolith of Asteroid Eros
Credit: NEAR Project, JHU APL, NASA
APOD: 2002 March 3
NEAR Spacecraft Survives Landing on Asteroid Eros
Credit: NEAR Project, JHU APL, NASA
APOD: 2001 February 13
Deep Impact Spacecraft Hurtles Toward Comet
Drawing Credit: Pat Rawlings, U. Md., JPL, NASA
APOD: 2005 May 16
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Credit: Univ. Maryland, JPL-Caltech, NASA
APOD: 2005 July 5
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The Landscape on Comet Tempel 1
Credit: Univ. Maryland, JPL-Caltech, NASA
APOD: 2005 July 6
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Smooth Sections on Asteroid Itokawa
Credit & Copyright: ISAS, JAXA
APOD: 2005 December 28
Rosetta Spacecraft Passes Asteroid Steins
Credit & Copyright: Rosetta Team, ESA
APOD: 2008 September 8
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Asteroid 3753: Earth's Curious Companion
Credit & Copyright: P. Weigert (York U.) et al.
APOD: 1997 June 18
Asteroids in the Distance
Credit: R. Evans & K. Stapelfeldt (JPL), WFPC2, HST, NASA
APOD: 2005 April 17
Animation of Asteroids Passing Near Earth
Credit: MPC, Harvard-Smithsonian CfA, IAU
APOD: 2006 March 28
Space Rock SQ222 Noticed After Pass
Credit & Copyright: LONEOS, Lowell Observatory
APOD: 2003 October 15
The Missing Craters of Asteroid Itokawa
Credit & Copyright: ISAS, JAXA
APOD: 2005 November 21