Kirkwood Gap Facts for Kids
2 days ago
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- #solar-system
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- Kirkwood gaps are empty spaces in the asteroid belt caused by Jupiter's gravity.
- Discovered in 1857 by Daniel Kirkwood, who explained their existence through orbital resonances.
- Orbital resonance occurs when two objects' orbits are simple fractions of each other, like 2:1 or 3:1.
- Jupiter's gravitational pull repeatedly affects asteroids in resonant orbits, destabilizing them over time.
- This process eventually 'kicks out' asteroids, creating gaps in specific orbits.
- Major Kirkwood gaps are found at resonances like 3:1, 5:2, 7:3, and 2:1 with Jupiter.
- These gaps are not completely empty but have significantly fewer asteroids.