Asteroids and Distant Minor Planets: Time Capsules of the Early Solar System

A 12,000-word short read eBook introduction to the Solar System's smaller members.The minor planets are the remnants left over from the formation of the Solar System. As their name implies, they are small. Even the dozen or so largest, some of which are now ranked as 'dwarf planets', are far smaller than the Moon – and these account for a thousandth of one per cent of the total known to astronomers. Most are far smaller.Once dismissed as "e;vermin of the skies"e; and "e;of very little interest to anybody"e;, they are now of great interest. To astronomers and planetary scientists, minor planets offer tantalising clues about the early history of the Solar System. They may be likened to time capsules of the solar system because they preserve material from its earliest stages of formation.Insterest in minor planets extends well beyond that of science. Though we are understandably concerned about the dangers of near-Earth asteroids colliding with our planet, these bodies are also increasingly viewed as a potential source of materials critical for both space exploration and for use here on Earth.