EASC 108- Midterm Exam Guide - Comprehensive Notes for the exam ( 16 pages long!)
11 Oct 2017
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Only large rocky planets have enough heat for activity. Tidal heating can melt internal ice, driving activity. Probably have geological features similar to medium-sized moons. Large body of small objects orbiting (short period) sun in a radial zone extending out from orbit of neptune (30 au) to ~50 au. Long period comets (period >200 years) seem to come mostly from a spherical region at ~50,000 au from sun. Any minor planet that orbits sun at a greater average distance than neptune, In 1992, qb1 was discovered, first kbo since pluto. Known kbos have increased to >1000: >100,000 kbi"s over 100 km in diam thought to exist. ~80 kbo"s have companions: binary kbos as objects are similar size, which is kbo and which is moon . Kbo orbits can become synchronised with neptune or in resonance: plutinos: all in the 2:3 resonance with neptune, classical kbos: called cubewanoes, scattered disk objects: very eccentric orbits of comet source.
