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asteroids

(Contd. from page 4...)

The composition of these objects is probably more like that of comets or the Kuiper Belt objects than that of ordinary asteroids. In particular, Chiron is now classified as a comet. 4 Vesta has been studied recently with HST (left). It is a particularly interesting asteroid in that it seems to have been differentiated into layers like the terrestrial planets. This implies some internal heat source in addition to the heat released by long-lived radio-isotopes which alone would be insufficient to melt such a small object. There is also a gigantic impact basin so deep that it exposes the mantle beneath Vesta's outer crust. Though they are never visible with the unaided eye, many asteroids are visible with binoculars or a small telescope. Asteroid table. A few asteroids and comets are listed below for comparison. (distance is the mean distance to the Sun in thousands of kilometers; masses in kilograms).

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Did you know?
The first car to be sold was the Benz Motorwagen in 1887. It had three wheels and looked more like a wheelchair than a car. Early cars did not have steering wheels or an ignition key. They were generally steered with a level or by turning handles on a small wheel at the end of a pole, and were started by winding up a starting handle at the front.

Heh Heh Heh...
While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about six years old. Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, "Are you a police officer?"
"Yes," I answered, and continued writing the report.
"My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?"
"Yes, that's right," I told her.
"Well, then," she said as she extended her foot toward me, "would you please tie my shoe?"

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