Chemical and mineralogical composition of Asteroid and Kuiper Belt objects

Group 4

Asteroid and Kuiper Belt

120,000 asteroids

Limited knowledge

of Kuiper Belt objects

Scientific objectives

Solar system formation Asteroid migration Late bombardment theory

Asteroid 433 Eros

Mineralogical composition 433 Eros

Reflective spectra of asteroids

Reflection spectra of several bright asteroids, labelled by asteroid number

Method

Reflective spectra of meteoritesSolar weathering

+ Reflective spectra of ice

fit Observed spectra