Small Bodies Solar System Astronomy

Asteroids, comets, and meteors are sometimes called "small bodies" of the Solar System. They are chunks of ice, rock, or metal that are small, at least compared to planets. They are related in several ways, so sites with information about all three are common.

• Keeping an Eye on Space Rocks - Overview of asteroids, comets, and meteors, with special attention to the impact hazard to Earth.
  
• NOVA Online: Doomsday Asteroid - Transcript of the television broadcast, kitchen comet activity, general information on comets.
  
• The Physics of: Asteroids, Comets and Meteoroids - Physics of asteroids, comets and meteoroids. Application with Newton's and Kepler's Laws, kinetic and potential energy.
  
• Planetary Data System: Small Bodies Node - Data concerning asteroids and comets, in a standard format for use primarily by astronomical observers and mission planners, as well as educators and students.
  
• Chiron Information and Documentation - A minor body with dual status as both asteroid and comet.
  
• Aerospaceguide.net: Near Earth Asteroid - Descriptions of asteroids, comets, and near Earth objects.
  
• The Nine Planets: Small Bodies in the Solar System - Overview of asteroids, comets, meteors. Images, data, links.
  
• Committee on Small Body Nomenclature - Group responsible for the naming of asteroids and comets. Description of the naming process, guidelines for submitting name proposals.
  
• Nine Planets: Sedna - General information on the object officially known as 2003 VB12. This object is the most distant body known that orbits our Sun.
  
• Orbits - Interactive 3D orbit visualization for known asteroids and comets.
  
• NASA Planetary Photojournal: Asteroid and Comets - Selected NASA images.
  
• Welcome to the Planets: Small Bodies - Asteroids Ida and Dactyl, Comets Shoemaker-Levy 9 and Halley, representative meteorites.
  
• Startdate Online: Leftovers - Fact sheets on asteroids and comets, index to radio broadcasts on related topics. From the McDonald Observatory.
  
• Meteorites and Asteroids - Companion resource to an astronomy textbook, contains links and current news about meteorites and asteroids.
  
• Astrobiology Magazine: Meteors, Comets, and Asteroids - Selected articles, usually with some connection to life on Earth or elsewhere in the solar system.
  
• Asteroids Comets Meteors (ACM) - A meeting bringing together scientists studying small solar system bodies. Dates and links of past meetings.
  
• Asteroids and Comets - Data from across NASA, compiled at the National Space Science Data Center.
  
• USGS Astrogeology: Other Objects - Official names of features on asteroids as approved by the International Astronomical Union. Data and images for selected asteroids and comets.
  
• BBC NEWS: Astronomers Discover 'New Planet' - A telescope has detected what could be the Solar System's 10th planet, Sedna.
  
• Small Bodies - Link collection covering the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud, asteroids, comets, meteors and meteorites, near Earth objects, and impacts.
  
• Comet/Asteroid Orbit Determination and Ephemeris Software - A downloadable Java program for various orbit computations on asteroids and comets.
  
• Minor Planet Center - International clearing house for observations of asteroids and comets.
  
• Asteroids, Comets, and Meteorites: Their Intimate Relation with Life on Earth - A curriculum prepared by the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute.
  
  

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