Meteors, Asteroids, & Comets

Beyond Wikipedia: 
Harbingers in the Sky

Evelyn Smith

Revised November 8, 2013 

 

Daily read up on meteors, asteroids, and comets in time for ISON by following "Comet Ison's Daily Progress" in "Comet Ison's Skywatch Journal" in the McGregor, Texas, McGinley Memorial Public Library Books and Friends' November issue.   Since November 6, 2013, astronomers have disclosed more information on the Chelyabinsk February 15, 2013, meteor strike, revealed the discovery of an unusual  "active asteroid", P/2013  P5, and have already observed evidence of the yearly Leonid meteor shower.

Vetted Websites: Russian Meteorite Strike 

& Asteroid Flyby

Cameras for Allsky Meteor Surveillance (CAMS). (2013). Ames Research Center. NASA. Retrieved from  http://cams.seti.org

Photography reveals recent meteor fireballs as well as surviving meteorites.  Links to sky clocks reveal optimum viewing times for observatories while a day-to-day tally gives the frequency of meteor showers.  Related articles links connect readers to news stories featuring recent meteorites.

Carr, K. (2012). Meteors.  Kidipede. Retrieved from http://scienceforkids.kidipede.com/physics/space/meteor.htm

Carr gives a simple explanation of this scientific phenomenon.

Comets and meteors. (n. d.).  Our Universe. ESA Kids.  European Space Agency.  Retrieved from

http://www.esa.int/esaKIDSen/SEMN99wJD1E_OurUniverse_0.html

 

ESA furnishes a simplified take of meteors accompanied by pictures.  Links direct readers to articles explaining asteroids, shooting stars, and comets.

Kramer, A. E. and Barry, E. (2013, February 18).  Russian scientists say they found meteorite fragments.  New York Times.  Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02019/world/europe/russian-scientists-say-they-found-meteorite-fragents.html?_r=0

The Russian Academy of Science has examined 53 small fragments collected around the hole in the ice of a Siberian lake.

Malik, T. (2013, February 13).  Russian meteor blast bigger than thought: NASA. D News.  Retrieved from http://news.discovery.com/space/asteroids-meteors-meteorites/russian-meteor-blast-bigger-nasa-130217.htm 

While NASA earlier estimated that the Russian meteor formed a 15 meter crater, they have revised their estimate, noting that it created a slightly larger crater of about 17 meters.

 

Meteoroid facts for kids. (2013). Space Facts. Science Kids.  Retrieved from http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/space/meteoroids.html

Site contains a list of facts and definitions that should intrigue a younger audience.

Meteors & meteorites: Overview. (2013). Solar System Explanation. NASA. Retrieved from http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Meteors

NASA gives a scientific explanation of meteors as well as links to pertinent recent headlines and NASA resources, furnishing photographs and videos of meteors and meteorites.

Murphy, H. and Williams, J. (2013, February 15).  A meteor streaking through the sky from six vantage points.  New York Times.  Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/02/15/world/europe/16meteorite-videogrid.html

The New York Times has compiled six videos from dash board video cams in Russia that bear witness to the 15 February 2012 meteor strike.

Russia meteor not linked to asteroid flyby. (2013, February 15).  Asteroid and Comet Watch. NASA.  Retrieved from http://www.nasa.gov.mission_pages/asterpods/news/asteroid/20130215.html

Report estimates the size of the meteor before its entering the earth’s atmosphere over Chelyabinsk, Russia, as well as the time that elapsed after it first entered the atmosphere until its disintegration was 32.5 seconds. The story also notes that the meteor’s trajectory differed from that of the asteroid 2012DA14, which recently had a close encounter with earth.

Wishing on a meteorite! (2013). KidsKnowIt.com.  Retrieved from http://www.kidsastronomy.com/meteorites.htm

Web site features video and photography of falling stars and gives instructions on how to observe a meteor shower.

Asteroid, Meteorite, & Comet Websites

Asteroids that escape the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter become comets.

November 2013 

Review of the Chelyabinsk Meteor

Berenstein, Seth. (2013, November 7). Russian fireball sows meteor risk may be bigger.  SFGate. Retrieved from http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Russian-fireball-shows-meteor-risk-may-be-bigger-4960706.php

Meteors the size of the Chelyabinsk meteor that measured 62 feet across are probably between four to seven more times likely to hit earth than astronomers previously estimated, according to three studies published in the November issue of Nature.  Thus, 20 million space rocks the size of the Russian meteor may be orbiting the solar system rather than an earlier estimate of three million since until Chelyabinsk, NASA only looked for 100 feet wide meteors (Berenstein, 2013, November 7, p. 1).  Until astronomers reexamined their findings, they also estimated that large meteor strikes only struck earth every 150 years instead of their new estimate of every 30 years (Berenstein, 2013, November 7, p. 1).

 Taking proactive steps, NASA this fall has reactivated WISE, a formerly dormant orbiting telescope used to search the sky for meteors, and NASA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are looking into the need to evacuate population should astronomers discover that a killer asteroid is headed to earth.   Last spring the two agencies also held an unpublicized disaster drill that imagined a meteor strike outside of Washington, D.C. For now, however, asteroids are most likely to cause “city-busting airbursts like the one that hit Chelyabinsk, which surprised astronomers because it came from the direction of the sun.  Fortunately for Chelyabinsk, the meteor’s shallow entry spread out the explosion, limiting the worst damage (Berenstein, 2013, November 7, p. 1-2).  Meanwhile, this month NASA has discovered two 12-wide asteroids and a 1.2 mile asteroid that it previously hasn’t noticed (Berenstein, 2013, November 7, p. 2).  

Chang, Kenneth.  (2013, November 6).  More asteroid strikes likely.  Space & Cosmos.  New York Times.  Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/07/science/space/more-large-asteroid-strikes-are-likely-scientists-find.html?ref=science

An article published in Nature estimates that Chelyabinsk-sized meteor strikes could occur as often as a decade or two, and these findings have pushed forward the topic of planetary defense, so that in December the United Nations General Assembly may establish an International Asteroid Warning Network as well as call of space agencies to set up an advisory group (Chang, 2013, November 6, para. 4-5).  Surveys have spotted 95 percent of near-earth asteroids that are at least one kilometer or 0.6 miles wide (Chang, 2013, November 6, para. 6). A proposed telescope, to be called Sentinel will find asteroids about 450 feet wide—a size that won’t destroy humanity, but could kill 50 million people and collapse the world economy (Chang, 2013, November 6, para. 10-11).  Even with Sentinel, however, many Chelyabinsk-sized asteroids, however would still escape detection.   Accordingly, the University of Hawaii is setting up telescopes with a 5 million dollar grant from NASA “to scan the sky for quick-moving spots of light” starting in 2015 that might be asteroids (Chang, 2013, November 6, para. 17-18). 

Popova, Olga, et al.  (2013, November 7). Chelyabinsk airburst, damage assessment, meteorite recovery, and characterization (Abstract).  Science. doi: 10.1126.science.1242642.  Retrieved from http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2013/11/06/science.1242642 
  

The asteroid impact near Chelyabinsk, Russia, on February 15, 2013, was the largest airburst to hit earth since the 1908 Tunguska event; however, modern cameras as well as laboratory methods have allowed for an un-preceded contemporaneous measurement of the comet’s impact. 

   
Sample, Ian. (2013, November 6).  Scientists reveal the full power of the Chelyabinsk meteor explosion.  The Guardian.  Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/nov/06/chelyabinsk-meteor-russia

Scientists have evaluated the explosion of the Chelyabinsk meteor, and have determined that the 20 meter-wide rock began to come apart at an altitude of 28 miles, traveled at a speed of 12 miles per second, and exploded with the energy of 500 kilotons of TNT (Sample, 2013, November 6, para. 1-2).  The meteor at its brightest glowed 30 times brighter than the sun, leaving observers with retina and skin burns, even as the intense heat evaporated 3/4ths of the meteor (Sample, 2013, November 6, para. 5). As noted in Science, the meteor left a shock wave of damage 55 miles on either side of its trajectory, sending 1,200 patients to hospitals while it also left a 650 kilograms that fell into 70 centimeter thick ice on Lake Chelyabinsk (Sample, 2013, November 6, para. 6-8).  The November issue of Nature also reported that the orbit of the meteor traces back to asteroid 86039, and the scientific models for estimating meteor airbursts are very “off the mark” (Sample, 2013, November 6, para. 10-11).

 

Schiermeier, Quirin.  (2013, November 6).  Nature.  doi: 10.1038/nature.2013.14114 http://www.nature.com/news/risk-of-massive-asteroid-strike-underestimated-1.14114

After assessing videos of the Chelyabinsk meteor strike in February 2013, astronomers now theorize that the risk of asteroids entering earth’s atmosphere may be ten times greater than they previously thought (Schiermeier, 2013, November 6, para. 1).  Although no known asteroid is on a collision course with earth for the next two centuries, astronomers know very little about smaller bodies that might impact the earth (Schiermeier, 2013, November 6, para. 11-12).  Thus, “residual impact risk” is shifting to smaller sized objects since astronomers have only catalogued about 500 of the millions of estimated near-earth asteroids 10 to 20 meters in diameter (Schiermeier, 2013, November 6, para. 13-14). 

 

Comet P/2013 P5

Jewitt, David,  et al. (2013, November 7). The Extraordinary Multi-tailed Main-belt Comet P/2013 P5.  Abstract.  The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 778: 1. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/778/1/L21.  

A system of six-dust tails set apart a main-belt comet, P/2013 P5, discovered August 27, 2013, from all other comets previously found. Observations made 13-days apart by the PAN-STARRS surveying telescope, located on Mount Haleakalā, Maui, Hawaii, also reveal a spectacular change in the tails as well as indicate that the comet isn’t fading.  Using a computer model, astronomers have determined that “each tail corresponds to a unique ejection date, revealing continued, episodic mass loss from the radius nucleus” since April 15. As an inner-belt asteroid, P/2013 P5 is unlikely to contain ice, and its drawn-out period of dust release isn’t inconsistent with an impact origin.  However, this may indicate that it is losing mass through rotational instability.

P/2013 P5: Hubble spots bizarre asteroid with six-comet-like tails. (2013, November 8).  Sci-News.com. Retrieved from http://www.sci-news.com/space/science-p2013p5-hubble-asteroid-six-tails-01530.html

 

Sci-News.com thoughtfully provides a link to the submission article  that appears in the November issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters while also offers a summary of the scientific paper.

About 240 meters in diameter, P/2013 P5 sports six comet-like tails of dust radiating from it like wheel spokes.  Although astronomers first discovered it using the Pan-STARRS Survey telescope in Hawaii, they didn’t see the tails until September 10, when Hubble first focused on them. Then on September 23, when Hubble focused on them again, P/2013 P5’s appearance had drastically changed (P/2013 P5, 2013, November 8, para. 1-3).   

One theory explaining P/2013’s behavior postulates that it’s rotation span has increase so that its surface has started coming apart, gathering dust in episodic eruptions for the last five months (P/2013 P5, 2013, November, 8, Para. 5-6).  Modeling shows that a series of “impulsive dust-ejection events” could have formed the comet’s tails as radiation from te sun has smeared its dust into streamers.  Thus, astronomers have inferred that P/2013 P5 might be losing surface debris as it rotates at a high rate of speed just as radiation from the sun could have similarly spun it into a high rate of speed (P/2013 P5, November 8, para 7-9).  If future observations discover that dust leaves the asteroid from its equatorial regions, this would show that it is experiencing a rotational break up (P/2013 P5, November 8, para. 8-11).  If the comet is a part of the Flora asteroid family, it may have been born as a result of a collision that happened 200 million years ago (P/2013 P5, November 8, para. 12).

  

Leonoid Meteor Shower

Leonid meteor shower peak scheduled for November 16 to November 18. (2013, November 6).  Examiner. Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/article/leonid-meteor-shower-peak-scheduled-for-november-16-to-november-18

Every November the Leonid meteor shower yearly bursts forth from Leo the Lion’s constellation.  While this “king of all meteor storms” is active from November 5^th through the 30^th, its peak window for observation runs from November 16^th to 18^th (Leonid, 2013, November 6, para. 1). On November 17, 1966, the Leonid meteor shower rained thousands of meteors per minute during a quarter-hour span; however, the most memorable Leonid meteor shower in recent history occurred in 1833.  The Alabama state slogan, “stars fell upon Alabama”, for example, is a reference to this event, although the Chinese and Arabs observed Leonid meteor showers as far back as the 9^th century CE (Leonid, 2013, November 5, para. 3-4). Associated with the comet Tempel-Tuttle, the Leonid meteor shower is best seen this hear between midnight and dawn, but since the shower will occur during a full moon, light-wash interference might obscure viewing (Leonid, 2013, November 5, para. 5-7).k

Prestor, Jennifer. (2013, November 7).  Possible meteor over California has social media. Ablaze.  New York Times.  Retrieved from http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/07/possible-meteor-over-california-has-social-media-abuzz/?ref=science

Video from a security camera sent to KCAL -9 in Los Angeles, showing “a bright streak flashing across the sky”.  Observers from as far away as Utah and Arizona have also spotted a “fireball” (Prestor, 2013, November 7, para. 1).  Prestor links these observations to an article in Nature that suggests the earth is more vulnerable than astronomers previously thought (2013, November 7, para. 5).

April--February 2013 

Asteroids. (2012, April 26). National Space Society.  Retrieved from http://www.nss.org/settlement/asteroids/

The National Space Society provides an excellent sources for links giving information about asteroids.

Asteroids & Comets. (2013).  National Geographic. Retrieved from

http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/asteroids-comets-article/

Scary stuff—article peeks  readers’ interest when it mentions the destruction of the dinosaurs whereupon it goes on to define asteroids, the asteroid belt, and comets.

Asteroids. (2013, February 12).  Sky & Telescope.  Retrieved from http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/asteroid

Web-based magazine gives links to asteroid articles.

Asteroids, comets, meteorites. (n. d.). Asteroid Watch. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. California Institute of Technology. NASA. Retrieved from http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch/asteroids-comets.cfm

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory site explains the difference between asteroids, comets, near-earth objects, potentially dangerous objects, meteors, and meteorites.

Clark, S. (2013, February 13).  Asteroids and how to deflect them.  Across the Universe.  The Guardian.  Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/across-the-universe/2013/feb/18/asteroids-how-deflect-dangers

Clark discusses the European Union’s plan to build a NEO shield as well as the ESA and NASA’s efforts to detect “killer” asteroids in time for populations  to evacuate predicted impact areas. 

Comet Watching Websites The Minor Planet Center: http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/mpc.html Heavens Above: http://heavens-above.com/ CometChasing.Skyhound.com: http://www.cometchasing.skyhound.com/ Visual Comets in the Future: VCIF Northern Hemisphere: http://www.aerith.net/comet/future-n.html Comet Panstarrs and ISON Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/CometPanstarrs Spaceweather.com:  http://www.spaceweather.com/ @SungrazerComets:  http://sungrazer.nrl.navy.mil/index.php?p=sungrazers Barnett, Amanda.   (2013, December 5). 5 latest things we know about Comet ISON. CNN.  Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/05/tech/comet-ison-dead-or-alive/index.html

Meteor, Comet, & Asteroid Videos  

The Chelyabinsk Meteor streaked over Russia on February 15,  2013.

Meteors

Dino meteor. (2007, May 31).  National Geographic.  (3:45 minutes).  Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx-cD2NQ-64

Video explores the theory that not only a meteor wiped out the dinosaurs, but that an earlier meteor also about their rise.

Meteor impact site. (2008, July 11). Earth: The Biography. National Geographic.  (4:25 minutes).  Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNRTtLLuNM8

Above ground and in underground caves, National Geographic explores the geological evidence of the impact of the massive meteor off the Yucatan Peninsula dooming the dinosaurs and bringing about the rise of the dinosaurs.

What is a meteor?  (2012, November 13). Monkey See.  Knowles Media, Inc. (1.59 minutes).  Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLyCtPmuZ8Y

This video that gives the definition of what meteor are and an overview of what students need to know about them could serve as either an introductory activity or a review before a unit test for middle school physical science students.

Comets 

Comets. (2011). Neo K-12.  Retrieved from http://www.neok12.com/Comets.htm

This collection of short videos explores in details what the middle school student needs to know about comets, meteorites, and asteroids under the general heading of comets.

• Exploring Comets with Dr. Alan Stern. (9:20 minutes).

• Unlocking Comet secrets—A Comet’s Tale. (2:25 minutes).

• Comets—Remnants of the Beginning. (4:50 minutes).

• Comets. (3:30 minutes).

• Asteroid vs. Comet. (8:05 minutes).

• Jupiter Explosion—A Comet’s Tale. (1:10 minutes).

• Mission: To Catch a Comet. (2:15 minutes).

• NASA Spacecraft Meets Comet Tempel. (2:20 minutes).

• Meteorites. (3:30 minutes).

• Meteors from Halley’s Comet. (2:30 minutes).

• Comets and Meteor Showers. (Perseid Meteor Shower) (2:20 minutes).

• Doomsday Asteroid. (3:05 minutes).

Space Videos: Comets Playlist. (2013). Science Channel. http://science.discovery.com/video-topics/space-videos/comets.htm

Collection of short videos summarizes and dramatizes what middle school students most of what middle school students might need to know about commas.

• Earth Impact.  (Length: 01:50). “See what happens when a comet hits the Earth!”

• Planet Formation. (Length: 02:05). “Find out the comet's role in the creation of Earth's oceans.”

• Isaac Newton.  (Length: 02:06).  “Newton actually discovered gravity by studying comets, not apples falling from a tree.”

• Everything You Thought You Knew about a Comet - Might Kill Us! (Length: 03:31). “What exactly are comets and what did they have to do with life on Earth?”

• Origin of Comets.  (Length: 02:30). “On TLC's Solar Empire ‘Impact,’ learn about the Oort Cloud where comets come from.”

•  Halley History.  (Length: 02:56).  “On TLC's Solar Empire ‘Impact,’ learn the history of Halley's comet.”

• Hale Bopp.  (Length: 03:00).  “On TLC's Solar Empire ‘Impact,’ learn how comets get there name.”

• Comet Tail. (Length: 01:5).  “On TLC's Solar Empire ‘Impact,’ learn what a comets tail is made of."

• Comet Aftermath.  (Length: 02:34). “On TLC's Solar Empire ‘Impact,’ learn what would happen if a big meteor hit the earth.”

• Spotting a Comet.  (Length: 01:52). “Was the Star of Bethlehem that led the Magi to the birth site of Jesus Christ a comet or something else?”

• Comet Impacts Jupiter.  (Length: 02:02).  “Astronomers spot a massive comet impact on Jupiter. How would a similar hit affect Earth?”

• Comets.  (Length: 02:51).  “On The Learning Channel's series, ‘Ultra Science,’ learn what comets are and where they come from.

• Comet.  (Length: 02:07).  “On TLC's ‘Understanding Asteroids,’ learn how comets were perceived in the days of yesterday.

What is a comet?  (2013, February 2913).  Science for kids. Mocomikids.  (2:31). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvhJgAOky-E

Visual learners will appreciate this short video that briefly explains everything middle school might need to know about comets. 

Asteroids

Nye, Bill. (2013). Could We Stop an Asteroid?  ASAP Science. (7:08 minutes).  Retrieved from http://search.tb.ask.com/search/video.jhtml?searchfor=Asteroid+videos&ts=1380865670159&p2=^XP^xdm002^YYA^us&n=77fd5a44&ss=sub&st=tab&ptb=7A949EC8-6181-437B-B5CF-9F918B96B148&tpr=hpsb&si=COOB3b2u5bkCFZRj7AodDEMAfA&vid=DDAi-8W_iAI

 

Bill Nye, “the Science Guy”, gives his take on whether scientific knowledge could help stop a Domesday comet—possibly, but don’t count on it.

An Asteroid’s Surface in Fine Detail. (2011). NASA. (1:58 minutes).  Retrieved from http://search.tb.ask.com/search/video.jhtml?searchfor=Asteroid+videos&ts=1380865670159&p2=^XP^xdm002^YYA^us&n=77fd5a44&ss=sub&st=tab&ptb=7A949EC8-6181-437B-B5CF-9F918B96B148&tpr=hpsb&si=COOB3b2u5bkCFZRj7AodDEMAfA&vid=DDAi-8W_iAI

A NASA space probe takes a flyby of the surface of a large asteroid called Vesta.

Large asteroid flying past earth on February 15, 2013.  (2013). Science at NASA.  (4:23 minutes).  Retrieved from http://search.tb.ask.com/search/video.jhtml?searchfor=Asteroid+videos&ts=1380865670159&p2=^XP^xdm002^YYA^us&n=77fd5a44&ss=sub&st=tab&ptb=7A949EC8-6181-437B-B5CF-9F918B96B148&tpr=hpsb&si=COOB3b2u5bkCFZRj7AodDEMAfA&vid=DDAi-8W_iAI

NASA predicted this asteroid’s encounter with earth will be uneventful. 

Space Race Kids: Condor (Asteroid Belt). (n. d.).  (5:34 minutes). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49HOvXUXdXI#t=64

Cartoon explains the solar system’s asteroid belt.

Surprise Asteroid in Near Miss with Earth.  (2013, October 1).  InfoWars.com. (4:41 minutes).  Retrieved from http://search.tb.ask.com/search/video.jhtml?searchfor=Asteroid+videos&ts=1380865670159&p2=^XP^xdm002^YYA^us&n=77fd5a44&ss=sub&st=tab&ptb=7A949EC8-6181-437B-B5CF-9F918B96B148&tpr=hpsb&si=COOB3b2u5bkCFZRj7AodDEMAfA&vid=DDAi-8W_iAI

What are asteroids—Science for kids.   (2010, March 20). Mocomikids.  (1:59 minutes).  Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzyugh0dXRc

Near earth objects that the asteroid that had a close encounter with Russia in February 2013 could possibly threaten earth.

Books on Comets, Asteroids, & Meteors

After reading about meteors, Americans may want to visit Meteor Crater, Arizona.

Eicher, David J. (2013).  Comets! Visitors from Outer Space.  New York: Cambridge University Press.

Eicher has compiled a very current book on comets that the average reader can understand.  An instructive, very easily understood glossary, plenty of photograph plates, and a large bibliography provide lots of additional helpful information.

---. (September 2013).  Comets! Visitors from Deep Space.  New York: Cambridge University Press. 

Eicher, who writes frequently for the popular press (as shown above), has updated his study of comets to include the latest details about comet ISON.  

Guruge, Anura. (2013). Comet Ison, C/2012 S1 (ISON): The Great Comet of 2013. Seattle: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform (Amazon).

 Serious stargazers will want to have this guide to help them follow ISON.

Levy, David H. (1998). Comets: Creators and Destroyers. 1st edition; New York: Touchstone/Simon & Schuster.

Levy, one of the astronomers who first tracked the Levy Shoemaker comet that collided with Jupiter in 1994, combines astronomy, history, and literature into a very readable book on comets.

Norton, O. Richard & Chitwood, Lawrence. (2008). Field Guide to Meteors and Meteorites.  The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series.  London: Springer-Verlag.

This field guide winner of the 2009 Mary Ansari Best Reference Work Award should enlighten  astronomers and geologists.

 Comet, Asteroid, & Meteor Books for Elementary  & Middle School Students 

 

Chrismer, Melanie. (2008). Comets.  Scholastic News for Nonfiction Readers: Space Science.  Danbury, Connecticut: Children’s Press (Scholastic). 

Beginning readers (age 6 and up) who are fascinated with outer space should enjoy this book.

Henderson, Douglas. (2000). Asteroid Impact. New York: Dial Books/ Penguin Putnam.

Readers in grades 5 to 8 will be enthralled by the drawings and the text as Henderson presents the hypothesis that the impact of a massive asteroid at the end of the Cretaceous Period exterminated the dinosaurs.

Kerrod, Robin. (2000). Asteroids, comets, and Meteors. Planet Library.  Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publishing Group.

Kerrod breaks the text into short paragraphs that don’t overwhelm the reader while lots of intriguing photographs, diagrams, and pictures accompany the text.

Simon, Seymour. (1998). Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids. New York: Harper-Collins.

Seymour, the “Dean of children’s science writers”, according to the New York Times, furnishes colored photographs of comets, meteors, and asteroids, accompanied by blocks of text.  Seymour explains scientific concepts in a way elementary school age children (grades 3 to 5) can understand the material, yet he doesn’t talk down to his audience.

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Khan Academy promises a free first-class education to everyone.

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Free Virtual University Lectures

750 free online courses from top universities. (2013).  Open Courses.  Retrieved from http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses

To find the university-level Online university-level lectures in astronomy, scroll down to the sciences.  Penn State, Yale, the University of California, Berkeley, Ohio State, and the University of Missouri offer Online lectures free-of-charge.  The late Carl Sagan also presents a lecture on "The Planets” as a Christmas lecture for children.  Use this Web site to preview university-level courses or to become a lifelong learner of  Science, Technology, Engineering,  & Math, humanity, and language courses.

Scientific Research Subscription-based Databases

 Since most high school teachers and almost all college and university instructors will not accept Wikipedia references because they are not vetted, students may need to turn to subscription databases with some editorial control to complete their research.  Accordingly, McGregor residents who are also card-carrying Waco-McLennan County Library patrons can turn to a large array of databases for help with scientific research and homework.  These databases include, but are not limited to Academic Search Complete, a Science and Technology Collection, Access Science, Green FILE, and Internet and Personal Computing Abstracts. Texans who are patrons of TexServe-member libraries can also access similar subscription databases Online.