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11. Our solar system
| 11.6 |
Asteroids and meteorites
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| As we will be discussing asteroids and meteorites in greater detail ( especially in Chapter 14- Life on Earth), this section provides a summary of their general classification. | ||
| Asteroids- Asteroids are large objects ranging from 100m to 300 km in diameter. Meteorites are objects ranging from less than a metre in length to 100m in diameter. | ||
| Asteroids and meteorites are basically made up of the same material. For the purpose of later chapters, we can classify asteroids into three broad groups: | ||
| C asteroids- are the darkest asteroids, rich in hydrated silicates and carbon; they are the most numerous ( about 60%) particularly in the outer regions of the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter; | ||
| S asteroids have the spectral characteristics of rocky bodies and are mainly made up of pyroxenes and silicates. | ||
| M asteroids made up of mostly iron and nickel. These type are very abundant among the Apollo- Amor group and in the inner regions of the main belt of asteroids of our Solar System. | ||
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