Contents --- Solar System Fluff
Introduction
Asteroids
Meteorites
Stones
Stoney-Irons
Irons
Finding Meteorites
Radioactive Dating
Radioactive Dating Method
If Amount of Original Is Not Known
Is Radioactive Dating Valid?
Effects of Asteroid Impact on Earth
Explosion
(what size crater?)
Tsunami
(huge tidal wave if its ocean)
Global Firestorm
(fires around the globe)
Acid Rain
(nitrous and nitric acid)
Temperature Effects
(first impact winter, then greenhouse heat)
Finding Near-Earth Objects
Deflecting and Using Asteroids
Review Questions
Comets
Nucleus
Coma
Tails
Hydrogen Cloud
Comet Orbits---Oort Cloud and Kuiper Belt
Oort Cloud
Kuiper Belt
Comet Beginnings and Ends
Other Comet Sites on the Web
Review Questions
Solar System Formation
Observables.
Twelve observations that the solar system formation model must account for.
Condensation Model
Review Questions
Testing the Theory: Other Planetary Systems
Detection methods
Direct Imaging
Astro
metry
(star wobbles)
Doppler shifts
Transits
Microlensing
Results and Testing the Theory
Extrasolar Planets Web Sites
Review Questions
More Solar System References
Astronomy Notes home