Chapter 10: Minor Bodies
Learning Objectives
By reading this chapter, attending lecture, and reviewing lecture content, you will be able to:
- Define, describe, and distinguish between asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets; list ~2 examples of each
- Define regolith
- Identify the location asteroids vs. comets in the solar system and explain their origin
- Describe the three major compositional classes of asteroids
- Explain what is meant by “rubble pile” and how we know this type of internal structure exists
- List and describe the categories of comets and how we classify comets into these groups
- Explain what causes cometary jets and what jets mean for the ultimate fate of comets
- Define a planet according to the IAU and explain how this definition affected the classification of Pluto and Ceres
- Identify some of the notable geologic features on Pluto and explain why the discovery of these features by New Horizons’ shocked scientists
