First Last - Protect Earth

The goal of this project is to use your Astro 300 python programming skills to answer the 3 questions below.

Your aim is to:

  • Create a well commmented python notebook that shows your programming.
  • Keep to the class style guide.
  • Do not hard code any common physical constants.
  • Easy to read and neat output that clearly shows the answers to the questions.
  • There should be no calculations outside of the class definition.

The starting point is the dataset PHA.cvs that contains data for 10 objects classified as potentially hazardous asteroids.


In [ ]:
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

from astropy.table import QTable
from astropy import units as u
from astropy import constants as const

In [ ]:
class SpaceRock(object):
    
    def __init__(self, name = None, ab_mag = None, albedo = None, 
                 semi_major= None, ecc = None):
        
        self.name = name
        self.ab_mag = ab_mag
        self.albedo = albedo
        self.semi_major = semi_major
        self.ecc = ecc
        
    def diameter(self):
        result = (1329.0 / np.sqrt(self.albedo)) * (10 ** (-0.2 * self.ab_mag))
        return result * u.km

There should only be calls to the SpaceRock class below this line

(and formatting)


0 - Read the dataset PHA.cvs and call SpaceRock


In [ ]:

1 - Determine the speed of each of the PHAs at r = 1 AU.

  • Make sure you use units.
  • Express your answer SI units with 2 digits after the decimal.
  • The output should be a series of lines like:
    • The speed of NAME at 1 AU is VALUE UNIT.

In [ ]:

2 - Determine the kinetic energy each PHA whould have impact the surface of the Earth

  • Express your answer in million of tons of TNT with 1 digit after the decimal
  • 1 ton TNT $= 4.18 \times 10^9$ J.
  • The output should be a series of lines like:
    • The kinetic energy of NAME hitting the Earth is VALUE UNIT.

In [ ]:

3 - Determine how many 1 ton nuclear weapons will be needed to destroy each of the PHAs.

  • Assume $\rho$ = 3,000 kg/m$^3$
  • Express your answer in the number of 1 ton weapons with 1 digit after the decimal
  • The output should be a series of lines like:
    • It would take VALUE 1 ton nuclear weaponds to destroy NAME.

In [ ]:

Due Tue Oct 31 - 5pm

  • Make sure to change the filename to your name!
  • Make sure to change the Title to your name!
  • File -> Download as -> HTML (.html)
  • upload your .html and .ipynb file to the class Canvas page

Some Orbital Mechanics

Kepler's first law says: The orbit of every planet is an ellipse with the sun at one focus. The Semimajor axis a and the eccentricity ecc parametrize the size and shape of the ellipse. The units of a in our dataset are Astronomical Units (AU), the average distance between the Sun and the Earth.

For a closed elliptical orbit (orbits gravitationally bound to the Sun), $ecc = \sqrt{1 - {b^2}/{a^2}}$, where a and b are the semimajor and semiminor axes. As you can see from the equation, when a = b, ecc = 0 (a circle), and when a $>>$ b, ecc approaches 1. When ecc = 1, the orbit is a parabolic orbit (just bound). When ecc $>$ 1 the orbit is a hyperbolic orbit (unbound).


The speed of an object on an elliptical orbit around the Sun at a distance r from the Sun is:

$$ \large v\ =\ \sqrt{GM_{\odot}\ \left(\frac{2}{r} - \frac{1}{a}\right)} $$

Encountering the Earth

The encounter speed of an asteroid meeting the Earth at 1 AU is (assuimg aligned prograde orbits):

$$ \large V_{\textrm{encounter}}\ =\ V_{\textrm{asteroid at 1AU}}\ -\ V_{\textrm{Earth}} $$

Where $V_{\textrm{Earth}}\ =\ 30\ \textrm{km/s}$

Hitting the Earth

The impact speed of an asteroid hitting the Earth is:

$$ \large V_{\textrm{impact}}\ =\ \sqrt{V_{\textrm{encounter}}^2 + V_{\textrm{escape}}^2} $$

Where $V_{\textrm{escape}}\ = 11.2\ km/s$


Blowing up an asteroid

The self gravitational potential energy of a uniform sphere of mass (m) and diameter (d) is:

$$ \large PE \ = \ \frac{6}{5} \cdot \frac{Gm^2}{d} $$

This is the amount of energy you need to give the sphere to move all of its components pieces infinitely far away (i.e. to destroy it!).

Remember that the mass and diameter of the asteroid is derived from its absolute magnitude H and albedo A.