First Year Astronomy Notes
written by Elizabeth Wonders
There you go, your brand-new notes for Astronomy 101! Good luck! <3 (Notes on other subjects are coming out. Owl me if you would like to request a specific subject published sooner.)
Last Updated
05/15/24
Chapters
10
Reads
258
Lesson 8) Other Celestial Bodies in the Solar System
Chapter 8
- Comets are small bodies composed of ice, rock, and dust
- When a comet passes close to the Sun, it forms a coma (atmosphere) and a tail made of gas and dust
- Comets can originate from far away and be pulled into orbits close to the Sun by gravity
- Short-period comets have a period of less than 200 years, while long-period comets have longer periods
- Halley's Comet is famous and returns every 75 years, last seen in 1986
- Hale-Bopp Comet was discovered in 1995 and had a bright dust tail
- Muggles used to think comets had divinatory powers, but wizards were skeptical
- Meteors are small objects that enter Earth's atmosphere and create a trail of light, also known as shooting stars
- Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through the trail of dust left by a comet
- Meteoroids are the objects that cause meteors, most are small and vaporize in the atmosphere
- When a meteorite survives and hits the ground, it is sought after by museums
- Meteorites can provide valuable information about the early solar system and sometimes come from other planets or bodies
- Meteorite impacts can create craters on planets and satellites
- Meteorites have magical properties, but their wild and unpredictable magic can interfere with other spells
- Be cautious when casting spells near meteorites
- Asteroids are larger than meteoroids, with a diameter of over 100 meters
- They are divided into three groups based on their composition: carbon-rich, stony, and metallic
- Most asteroids are located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter
- Some asteroids are classified as near-Earth asteroids and are closely monitored for potential impact with Earth
- Dwarf planets are not just smaller versions of planets, but have specific criteria set by the International Astronomical Union
- Pluto was considered the ninth planet but was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006
- There are currently five recognized dwarf planets: Pluto, Eris, Ceres, Haumea, and Makemake
- Dwarf planets have different numbers of moons, with Pluto having the most and Ceres having none
- There is controversy surrounding Pluto's reclassification, with some disagreeing with the criteria set by the IAU
- Dwarf planets, like planets and the Moon, reflect magic to Earth, with Pluto having detectable magic
