The danger lies not in the risk of hitting a large object. ... The number of objects in the asteroid belt increases steeply with decreasing size, but even at micrometer sizes the Pioneer spacecraft were hit only a few times during their passage. That is not to say that asteroids cannot pose any danger, however .
In Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, C-3PO tells Han Solo, “Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to one,” indicating that traveling through one of the galaxy’s asteroid clusters is potentially life- threatening .
Can we fly through asteroid belt?
4 Answers. Yes , you could go “over” or “under” the asteroid belt. However, plane changes are expensive, and as pointed out in the comments, the asteroid belt is not very dense (average distance of 600,000 miles [1 million kilometers] between objects) so there isn’t much to avoid.
Why would it be hard to pass through an asteroid belt?
It would be hard to pass through the asteroid belt because there are many of them in one area between Mars and Jupiter . 3. According to the text, the asteroid belt is between Mars and Jupiter where rocks called asteroids are located.
Has anyone crossed the asteroid belt?
First stop: Vesta. Vesta and Ceres, the two largest objects in the asteroid belt, have mystified scientists for centuries.
Does the asteroid belt protect us?
This “belt” of asteroids follows a slightly elliptical path as it orbits the Sun in the same direction as the planets. ... The presence of Jupiter actually protects Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars from repeated asteroid collisions !
What is the closest asteroid belt to Earth?
Based on its average distance from the Sun, the distance between Earth and the closest edge of the Belt can be said to be between 1.2 to 2.2 AUs , or 179.5 and 329 million km (111.5 and 204.43 million mi).
What are the odds of surviving an asteroid field?
C-3PO : Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1 .
How long would it take to fly to the asteroid belt?
Adjusted for a trip to the Asteroid Belt, so a spacecraft equipped with an EM drive would take an estimated 32.5 days to reach the Asteroid Belt.
How fast do asteroids travel in the asteroid belt?
Asteroids zip through space at astonishing velocities. The speed at which asteroids move depends on their distance to the Sun. The closer they are, the greater the speed. That said, even Earth-crossing asteroids, or NEOs, travel around 25 kilometers per second — yep, per second!
What is the hottest planet?
Venus is the exception, as its proximity to the Sun and dense atmosphere make it our solar system’s hottest planet. The average temperatures of planets in our solar system are: Mercury – 800°F (430°C) during the day, -290°F (-180°C) at night. Venus – 880°F (471°C)
How common are asteroid belts?
The high population of the asteroid belt makes for a very active environment, where collisions between asteroids occur frequently (on astronomical time scales). Collisions between main-belt bodies with a mean radius of 10 km are expected to occur about once every 10 million years .
What planet is closest to the Sun?
Mercury . Mercury is the planet closest to the sun. In 2004, NASA launched its MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging mission, nicknamed MESSENGER.
Is Jupiter a failed star?
“Jupiter is called a failed star because it is made of the same elements (hydrogen and helium) as is the Sun, but it is not massive enough to have the internal pressure and temperature necessary to cause hydrogen to fuse to helium, the energy source that powers the sun and most other stars.
Where is the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs?
The six mile-wide asteroid which struck the Earth 66 million years ago and ended the 180 million year-long reign of the dinosaurs, was the cause of what is known as a Chicxulub events. It landed in what is now the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico and formed the Chicxulub crater.
Can humans live on Jupiter?
While planet Jupiter is an unlikely place for living things to take hold , the same is not true of some of its many moons. Europa is one of the likeliest places to find life elsewhere in our solar system. There is evidence of a vast ocean just beneath its icy crust, where life could possibly be supported.
