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Is the lack of asteroids between the Earth and Sun an artifact of our methods of detection? I'd imagine looking outward where light is shining on a surface woul
by sockaddr 2y ago
Is the lack of asteroids between the Earth and Sun an artifact of our methods of detection? I'd imagine looking outward where light is shining on a surface would be easier to detect stuff than looking inward towards the sun at such a close distance.
- azernik 2y agoNot entirely, but in part! You can see the effect in this animation of asteroid discoveries over time, where the discoveries are concentrated in bursts facing directly away from Earth, or directly parallel to its orbit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=BKKg4lZ_o-Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=BKKg4lZ_o-Y
- pavel_lishin 2y agoWow, what happened around 1999?
- azernik 2y agoLINEAR went into operation 1998, and got a second telescope in 1999. Big joint project between NASA, USAF, and MIT. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Near-Earth_Asteroid_Research https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Near-Earth_Asteroid_Re...
- sockaddr 2y agoThat's very interesting. Thanks for posting that.
- d_silin 2y agoThere are not that many, less than a 100 with apoapsis inside of the Earth orbit. Rendering can be adjusted for better visibility, but 4 inner planets swept the interior volume pretty thoroughly during earlier times of Solar System.