 |
|
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
|
|
M-class asteroid
A relatively bright and reflective asteroid, made mainly of metallic iron and nickel (the "M" is for "metal"), typically found the middle of the main asteroid belt. M-class asteroids are slightly reddish and have featureless reflectance spectra over the range 0.3 to 1.1 microns. They are distinguished from the spectrally similar E-class asteroids and P-class asteroids by their moderate albedo of 0.10 to 0.18. The largest known example is the 248-km-wide (16) Psyche.
Related category
• ASTEROIDS AND OTHER MINOR PLANETS: TYPES AND GROUPS
Also on this site:
Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living
Encyclopedia of History
Transport Concepts & Designs (partner site)