Minor-planet moon

by Lucy Shaninghale, Brendan Davis (Editor), Georgy Musky (Translator)

Overview

A minor-planet moon is an astronomical object that orbits a minor planet as its natural satellite. It is thought that many asteroids and Kuiper belt objects may possess moons, in some cases quite substantial in size. Discoveries of minor-planet moons (and binary objects, in general) are important because the determination of their orbits provides estimates on the mass and density of the primary, allowing insights of their physical properties that is generally not otherwise possible. As of May 2016, there are over 300 minor planets known to have moons.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940156798322
Publisher:	Euprint press Limited
Publication date:	07/18/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	31 KB