Asteroids
Astronomical and Geological Bodies
Cambridge Planetary Science Series

Asteroid science is a fundamental topic in planetary science and is key to furthering our understanding of planetary formation and the evolution of the Solar System. Ground-based observations and missions have provided a wealth of new data in recent years, and forthcoming missions promise further exciting results. This accessible book presents a comprehensive introduction to asteroid science, summarising the astronomical and geological characteristics of asteroids. The interdisciplinary nature of asteroid science is reflected in the broad range of topics covered, including asteroid and meteorite classification, chemical and physical properties of asteroids, observational techniques, cratering, and the discovery of asteroids and how they are named. Other chapters discuss past, present and future space missions and the threat that these bodies pose for Earth. Based on an upper-level course on asteroids and meteorites taught by the author, this book is ideal for students, researchers and professional scientists looking for an overview of asteroid science.

Preface; Acknowledgments; List of symbols and abbreviations; 1. Light and magnitude; 2. Orbits and discovering minor planets; 3. Meteorites, minerals, and isotopes; 4. Reflectance spectroscopy and asteroid taxonomy; 5. Physical properties and families; 6. Comets and outer Solar System bodies; 7. Near-Earth asteroids and the impact threat; 8. Spacecraft missions; References; Index.

Thomas H. Burbine is Director of the Williston Observatory at Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, and holds a PhD in Planetary Sciences from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a collaborator on the OSIRIS-Rex sample return mission, and asteroid (5159) Burbine is named in his honour.