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Revised: Aug. 2007
Everyone learns about the handful of "major planets" in elementary school, but the Sun's followers truly number in the thousands. Minor planets-asteroids and comets-circle the Sun in flocks and as loners, ranging in size from dust motes to globes larger across than Tennessee. The minor planets close to the Sun are metallic or stony, while those farther out are "dirty snowballs"-worlds of ice laced with stones.
The minor planets are worlds of opportunity and danger for mankind. They could be mined for materials to build and support space colonies and industries on Earth. The danger lies in meteoroids-minor planets with orbits that intersect Earth's orbit. Most meteoroids are about the size of sand grains. Unless they are properly protected, spacecraft can be punctured by meteoroids. Many meteoroids burn up harmlessly above our heads as meteors, also known as shooting stars. The
meteoroids that survive their trip through our atmosphere-meteorites-are usually small. However, it would not take much for a meteorite to cause mankind serious damage: Barringer Crater in Arizona, which is about three-quarters of a mile wide, was made by a meteorite about a hundred and fifty feet across. If another meteorite of the same size hit a city, the devastation would be similar to that caused by one of the atomic bombs dropped over Hiroshima or Nagasaki. The impacts of larger meteorites are currently thought to be a cause of mass extinctions, such as the disappearance of the dinosaurs.
All items are available at the Headquarters Library, except as noted. NASA Headquarters employees and contractors: call (358-0172) or email Library@hq.nasa.gov for information on borrowing or in-library use of any of these items. Members of the public, contact your Local Library for the availability of these items. NASA Headquarters employees can request additional materials or research on this topic. The Library welcomes your comments or suggestions about this webpage.
- Beatty, J. Kelly, Carolyn Collins Petersen, and Andrew Chaikin. The New Solar System. Cambridge, MA: Sky Publishing; Cambridge, UK; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
- QB501 .N47 1999 READY REFERENCE
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- Bell, Jim, and Jacqueline Mitton (eds.). Asteroid Rendezvous: NEAR Shoemaker's Adventures at Eros. Cambridge, UK; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
- QB651 .A84 2002 BOOKSTACKS
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- Bevan, Alex, and JR de Laeter. Meteorites: A Journey Through Space and Time. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press in association with the University of New South Wales Press, 2002.
- QB755 .B48 2002 BOOKSTACKS
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- Burrows, William E. The Survival Imperative: Using Space to Protect Earth. New York, NY: Forge Books, 2006.
- QB721 .B87 2006 BOOKSTACKS
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- National Research Council. Committee on Space Shuttle Meteoroid/Debris Risk Management. Protecting the Space Shuttle From Meteoroids and Orbital Debris. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997.
- TL795.5 .P77 1997 BOOKSTACKS
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- __________. Committee on International Space Station Meteoroid/Debris Risk Management. Protecting the Space Station From Meteoroids and Orbital Debris. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997.
- TL797 .P77 1997 BOOKSTACKS
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- Norton, O. Richard. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Meteorites. Cambridge, UK; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
- QB755 .N65 2002 READY REFERENCE
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- Peebles, Curtis. Asteroids: A History. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000.
- QB651 .P44 2000 BOOKSTACKS
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- Peterson, Glenn E. Dynamics of Meteor Outbursts and Satellite Mitigation Strategies. El Segundo, CA: Aerospace Press; Reston, VA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1999.
- QB738 .P48 1999 BOOKSTACKS
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- Remo, John L. (ed.). Near-Earth Objects: The United Nations International Conference. New York, NY: New York Academy of Sciences, 1997.
- QB501 .N43 1997 BOOKSTACKS
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- Schmadel, Lutz D. Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. New York, NY: Springer, 1999.
- QB651 .S35 1999 READY REFERENCE
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- United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science. Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics. The Threat of Near-Earth Asteroids: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, Committee on Science, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Second Session, October 3, 2002. Washington, DC: U.S. G.P.O.: For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O. [Congressional Sales Office], 2003.
- KF27 .S39 T47 2003 BOOKSTACKS
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- United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Near-Earth Object Survey and Deflection Analysis of Alternatives: Report to Congress. Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2007.
- QB651 .N43 2007 BOOKSTACKS
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- __________. 2006 Near-Earth Object Survey and Deflection Study. Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2006.
- QB651 .N43 2006 BOOKSTACKS
- Abell, PA, et al. "Scientific Exploration of Near-Earth Objects via the Crew Exploration Vehicle", in Workshop on Science Associated with the Lunar Exploration Architecture, Tempe, AZ, 27 Feb.-2 March 2007.
- (20070010022: (2007) NASD)
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- Baker, Joanne. "The Falcon Has Landed", Science, vol. CCCXII, no. 5778 (2 June 2006), p. 1327.
- Note: This article is the introduction to a special section of the issue about Hayabusa, a Japanese spacecraft that encountered the minor planet Itokawa in 2005.
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- __________. "Look Into the Seeds of Time", Science, vol. CCCXIV, no. 5806 (15 Dec. 2006), p. 1707.
- Note: This article is the introduction to a special section of the issue about Stardust.
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- Braun, David F., Michael Heinrich, Huirong Anita Ai, and Thomas J. Ahrens. "Penetrator Coring Apparatus for Cometary Surfaces", in Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Asteroids, Meteors, Comets, Houston, TX, 15-19 March 2004.
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- Christensen, Bill. "What is the Best Trajectory to Reach an Asteroid?", Ad Astra, vol. XVIII, no. 2 (Summer 2006), p. 38-39.
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- Clayton, R. "Meteorites and Their Parent Asteroids", Science, vol. CCCXIII, no. 5794 (22 Sept. 2006), p. 1743-1744.
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- Connors, M, et al. "Horseshoe Asteroids and Quasi-satellites in Earth-like Orbits", in Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Asteroids, Meteors, Comets, Houston, TX, 15-19 March 2004.
- (20040062113: (2004) NASD)
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- Cruikshank, Dale P. "Triton, Pluto, Centaurs, and Trans-Neptunian bodies", Space Science Reviews, vol. CXVI, no. 1-2 (2005), p. 421-439.
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- Durda, Daniel D. "Mining Near-Earth Asteroids", Ad Astra, vol. XVIII, no. 2 (Summer 2006), p. 32-33.
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- Franzen, MA, et al. "Microgravity Testing of a Surface Sampling System for Sample Return from Small Solar System Bodies", in Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Asteroids, Meteors, Comets, Houston, TX, 15-19 March 2004.
- (20040062103: (2004) NASD)
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- Furnish, MD, GT Gray III, and JL Remo. "Dynamical properties measurements for asteroid, comet and meteorite material applicable to impact modeling and mitigation calculations", SAND--94-0058C, in 1994 Hypervelocity Impact Symposium, Santa Fe, NM, 16-20 Oct. 1994.
- (10162112: (26 June 2005) DOE Information Bridge)
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- Hanson, Brooks. "Inside Out; Outside In", Science, vol. CCCXno. 5746 (14 Oct. 2005), p. 257.
- Note: This article is the introduction to a special section of the issue about Deep Impact.
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- Jenniskens, P. "Meteor Showers from Broken Comets", in Dust in Planetary Systems: Workshop Program and Abstracts, Kauai, HI, 26-30 Sep. 2005.
- (20060006465: (2005) NASD)
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- Lewis, John. "Working Group Reports and Presentations: Asteroids", in: Proceedings of the Next Generation Exploration Conference, NASA/CP-2006-214551, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, 16-18 Aug. 2006.
- (20070008273: (Oct. 2006) NASD)
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- Mazanek, Daniel D., et al. Comet/Asteroid Protection System (CAPS): Preliminary Space-Based Concept and Study Results, NASA/TM-2005-213758, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, May 2005.
- (20050186564: (May 2005) NTRS)
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- McCurdy, Howard E. Low-Cost Innovation in Spaceflight: The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Shoemaker Mission, NASA/SP-2005-4536, NASA History Office, Washington, DC, 2005.
- (20050159707: (2005) NTRS)
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- Yano, Hajime (ed.), et al. Proceedings of the 2002 International Science Symposium on the Leonid Meteor Storms, Tokyo, Japan, 2-5 May 2002.
- (20040031299: (Oct. 2006) NASD)
NASA Websites
- Baalke, Ron. Near-Earth Object Program. 11 May 2007 [3 Aug. 2007].
- http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/
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- Dunbar, Brian. Dawn Mission. 26 July 2007 [3 Aug. 2007].
- http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/dawn/main/index.html
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- __________. Deep Impact. 13 Oct. 2006 [3 Aug. 2007].
- http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/deepimpact/main/index.html
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- Morrison, David. Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards. 28 June 2007 [3 Aug. 2007].
- http://impact.arc.nasa.gov/
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- Whalen, Aimee. Stardust. 3 July 2007 [3 Aug. 2007].
- http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html
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- Williams, David R. Asteroids. 9 July 2007 [3 Aug. 2007].
- http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planets/asteroidpage.html
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- __________. Comets. 27 July 2007 [3 Aug. 2007].
- http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planets/cometpage.html
Other Websites
- American Meteor Society. 2007 [2 Oct. 2007].
- http://www.amsmeteors.org/
- Note: Lists the major meteor showers for the year.
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- Barringer Crater Company. 1998 [6 Aug. 2007].
- http://www.barringercrater.com/
- Note: This is the website of the family firm that owns the famous crater in Arizona.
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- DigitalSpace Corporation. Design for a Human Mission to a Near Earth Object. 30 July 2007 [3 Aug. 2007].
- http://www.digitalspace.com/projects/neo-mission/index.html
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- Institute of Meteoritics. How to Identify a Meteorite. 27 July 2007. [6 Aug. 2007].
- http://epswww.unm.edu/iom/ident/index.html
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- __________. Meteorite Museum. 22 May 2007 [6 Aug. 2007].
- http://epswww.unm.edu/meteoritemuseum/index.htm
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- NEO Information Centre. 6 Aug. 2007 [6 Aug. 2007].
- http://www.nearearthobjects.co.uk/
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- The Spaceguard Foundation. 24 Feb. 2006 [3 Aug. 2007].
- http://spaceguard.esa.int/
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- Williams, Gareth, and Dan Green. International Comet Quarterly. 12 July 2007. [3 Aug. 2007].
- http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/icq/icq.html
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- __________. Minor Planet Center. 12 July 2007. [3 Aug. 2007].
- http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/mpc.html
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