Hi there! Have you ever wondered why so many meteorites that crash into Earth seem to come from the same place? Let’s explore this fascinating topic together!
Between the planets Mars and Jupiter, there’s a region filled with millions of rocks called the asteroid belt. Sometimes, pieces of these rocks break off and travel through space, eventually reaching Earth as meteorites. When scientists studied these meteorites, they found something surprising: over a third of them have the same chemical makeup, suggesting they all came from one asteroid.
Using special telescopes, scientists believe they’ve identified the asteroid responsible for many of these meteorites. It’s called Hebe. Hebe is larger than many other asteroids in the belt, but it still makes up only a small part of the total mass there. Over time, Hebe has been involved in many collisions, including one big event that might have broken off a large piece known as Jebe. However, other asteroids have also experienced numerous collisions.
Hebe’s unique position in the asteroid belt makes it special. It sits at the edge of an empty band in the belt. Asteroids on either side of this band feel a slight gravitational pull from Jupiter as they orbit the sun. This pull averages out over time. But if a rock is in the empty band, it orbits the sun three times faster than Jupiter. This means it gets close to Jupiter at the same two points in its orbit repeatedly. This “orbital resonance” changes the asteroid’s orbit, sometimes sending it on a path that crosses Earth’s orbit.
Hebe sends more space rocks toward Jupiter than any other asteroid, which means more rocks head toward Earth from Hebe than from anywhere else. Most of these rocks miss us, like one that flew by in 2012 with more power than the Hiroshima bomb, passing just 20 times the distance from Earth to the moon. But sometimes, they hit us, like in 1976 when a car-sized boulder landed in China, or in 1868 when ten tons of small meteorites fell in Poland.
Scientists are working on ways to change the path of a large asteroid if it were headed for Earth. Although these plans are still in development, there’s time to prepare for any future meteorite events.
This video was sponsored by Skillshare, an online learning community. If you’re interested in learning how to create comics or explore other topics, Skillshare offers over 15,000 classes taught by industry experts. The first 500 viewers can get a free two-month trial by clicking the link in the description box below. Thanks, Skillshare!
And if you’re curious about the universe’s mysteries, check out the book “We Have No Idea” by Jorge Cham and physicist Daniel Whiteson. It dives into some of the biggest questions about our universe, like the origins of high-energy particles that hit Earth.
Use clay or playdough to create a model of the asteroid belt. Include Mars, Jupiter, and the asteroid Hebe. Show how Hebe’s position is unique and explain why it sends more meteorites toward Earth. This hands-on activity will help you visualize the asteroid belt and understand Hebe’s special role.
Research the concept of orbital resonance and how it affects the movement of asteroids. Create a short presentation or poster to explain how Hebe’s orbit interacts with Jupiter’s gravity. This will deepen your understanding of why Hebe is a significant source of meteorites.
Use a sandbox or a tray filled with flour and cocoa powder to simulate a meteorite impact. Drop small rocks from different heights to see the craters they create. Discuss how the size and speed of a meteorite affect the impact on Earth. This experiment will illustrate the effects of meteorite collisions.
Imagine you are a meteorite traveling from Hebe to Earth. Write a short story about your journey, including the challenges you face and the sights you see. This creative writing activity will help you empathize with the journey of meteorites and understand their origins.
Form two groups and debate whether governments should invest in technology to deflect asteroids. Consider the potential risks and benefits. This activity will encourage you to think critically about the importance of preparing for future meteorite events.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, this is Emily from MinuteEarth. Over the ages, the million or so rocks that make up the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter have sent chunks of space debris, large and small, crashing into Earth. After analyzing many of these meteorites, we’ve discovered something interesting: more than a third of them have the same chemical signature, suggesting that they’ve broken off from a single asteroid.
By using special telescopes to look at the mineral makeup of asteroids, we think we’ve identified the source, known as Hebe. Hebe is relatively large compared to other asteroids in the asteroid belt, but it still only makes up a tiny fraction of the total mass. It has been involved in many meteoroid-making collisions, including one significant event that might have broken off a large chunk of rock called Jebe. However, many other asteroids have also been involved in numerous collisions.
Hebe’s unique status is attributed to its location at the edge of an empty band in the asteroid belt. As asteroids on either side of this band orbit the sun, they pass Jupiter and experience a bit of extra gravitational pull. This pull occurs at different points with each orbit, so it averages out over time. However, any rock that finds itself inside the empty band orbits the sun exactly three times faster than Jupiter does, bringing it closest to Jupiter at the same two points in its orbit repeatedly. This so-called “orbital resonance” distorts the shape of the asteroid’s orbit and eventually destabilizes it into a potentially Earth-crossing path.
Hebe sends more space rocks into Jupiter’s reach than any other asteroid, which results in more rocks heading toward us than anything else. Fortunately, most of them miss us, like the one with significantly more destructive power than the Hiroshima bomb that flew by in 2012, just 20 lunar distances away. However, we weren’t as fortunate in 1976 when a boulder the size of a car crashed into a field in northern China, or in 1868 when ten tons of small meteorites fell in northeastern Poland.
Scientists are researching ways to divert a large asteroid if it were on a collision course with Earth, but our plans are still years away from realization, so there’s still time for a significant meteorite event.
Hi everyone, this video was sponsored by the online learning community Skillshare. More about them in a moment, but first, I want to share a new book by our friend Jorge Cham, who created the beautiful illustrations for this video. The book is titled “We Have No Idea,” and in it, Jorge and physicist Daniel Whiteson explore some of the biggest mysteries about our universe, such as the origins of incredibly high-energy particles that constantly hit Earth, and what cosmic events could be producing them.
If you want to learn how to create comics like Jorge’s, check out Skillshare. Skillshare features over 15,000 how-to classes from industry experts, including how to create webcomics and modern marketing strategies. The first 500 MinuteEarth viewers can get a free two-month trial with Skillshare by clicking the link in the description box below. Thanks, Skillshare!
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This version maintains the original meaning while removing any informal language or potentially sensitive content.
Meteorites – Pieces of rock or metal from space that survive their passage through the Earth’s atmosphere and land on the Earth’s surface. – Example sentence: Scientists study meteorites to learn more about the early solar system.
Asteroid – A small rocky body orbiting the sun, mostly found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt. – Example sentence: The asteroid belt contains millions of asteroids of various sizes.
Hebes – A large asteroid in the asteroid belt, known for being one of the brightest asteroids visible from Earth. – Example sentence: Hebes is an interesting asteroid for astronomers because of its brightness and size.
Jupiter – The largest planet in our solar system, known for its Great Red Spot and many moons. – Example sentence: Jupiter’s strong gravitational pull affects the orbits of nearby asteroids.
Orbit – The path one object in space takes around another object due to gravitational forces. – Example sentence: The Earth completes one orbit around the Sun every year.
Collisions – Events where two or more objects in space crash into each other, often resulting in changes to their paths or structures. – Example sentence: Collisions between asteroids can create smaller fragments that become meteorites.
Gravitational – Relating to the force that attracts two bodies toward each other, such as the attraction between the Earth and objects on it. – Example sentence: The gravitational pull of the Moon causes tides on Earth.
Space – The vast, seemingly infinite expanse that exists beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, where stars, planets, and other celestial bodies are found. – Example sentence: Astronauts travel to space to conduct experiments and explore the universe.
Earth – The third planet from the Sun, home to all known life, and characterized by its blue oceans and green continents. – Example sentence: Earth is unique in our solar system for its abundant liquid water and life forms.
Belt – A region in space where a large number of asteroids or other small celestial bodies are found, such as the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. – Example sentence: The asteroid belt is a region filled with rocky bodies that orbit the Sun.
