The purpose of this project was to simulate a collision between a planet and an asteroid. Some formula's used are:
(Va) x = Va cos B degrees: Velocity of the planet in the x direction
(Va) y = Va sin B degrees: Velocity of planet in the y direction
(Vb) x = -Vb cos V degrees: Velocity of asteroid in the x direction
(Vb) y =Vb sin V degrees: Velocity of asteroid in the y direction

          The program shows what the resulting velocities of the planet and asteroid would be after the collision. This may possibly show that Pluto is in an eccentric orbit because an asteroid hit it, accelerating its velocity and pushing it a little out of its original orbit.

                                                        Introduction

        Pluto is the ninth planet in our solar system. Pluto is usually the farthest planet from the sun, and though it is a planet, it is smaller then the solar systems moons (Earth's moon, Europa, Ganynide, Calliste, Titan, and Triton.) Pluto's orbit is 5,983,520,000 km from the sun, the diameter 2,274 and Pluto's mass is 1.27e22kg. The discovery of Pluto was accidental. In 1930, a man named Clyde W. Tombaugh predicted a ninth planet beyond Neptune. While conducting a very careful sky survey at Lowell Observatory, Pluto was seen for the first time.
        Pluto has a moon or satellite called Charon, discovered in 1978, just before Pluto orbital plane moved toward the inner solar system. It was therefore possible to observe many characteristics of Pluto over Charon and visa versa.
        Pluto's orbit is highly eccentric. It has been known to be closer to the sun than Neptune at times. Some say it had been this way since January of 79" and will continue until February of '99. Others say it has been this way ince January 21. 1979 and will not occur again until September 2226. Still others say it has been since the exact date of March 14, 1999.
        During a period in 1990, earth was aligned with the orbit of Charon around Pluto so that an eclipse could be observed every Pluto day. This provided the opportunity to construct albedo maps that defined Pluto and Charon's surface reflectivity, enabling scientists to make the first accurate determination of the size of Pluto and Charon.

                                                                Method

We obtained formulas to help us write our program. We also used the book entitled, Mechanics for Engineers. This was a guide on the writing for this program. We used the formulas to determine the velocity of the two objects before and after the collision.

                                                                Results

        The results of this program were that if Pluto and an asteroid of equal proportions collided, then Pluto would be thrown enough to prove it could be possible Pluto was from the asteroid belt.

                                                            Conclusion

        The C++ program provided us with the velocity of Pluto after the collision. It also determined the velocity of the asteroid after the collision. The program would have also determined the angles of the planet and asteroid after the collision but the program couldn't be made to add vectorially. In conclusion the progam was not able to do everything we wanted. It only told us the velocity. Future

                                                   Extensions of Project

        It would be interesting to see what would occur if the collision was not head-on but off-course. Maybe we could try a collision between two comets next to earth and see what it would do. This would be a disaster and could be in our best interest to find out.

                                                    Lessons Learned

        Though there is a wealth of information available, it is very difficult to find exactly what is required. Specific formulas are very hard to find. Knowing what we now know, we would have allocated more research time earlier on in the project development to find out more about Pluto.

Acknowledgments

Professor James Smith, Alpha University, for loan of four color transparencies. Teacher Denise Drzymalski, Cuba High School, for help and guidance. Teacher Lorenzo Gonzales, Cuba High School, for information. Don Peterson, for technical assistance with coding. Teacher Peggy McCracken, Cuba High School, technical help. Business Process Analyst Sue Witkowski, Hewlett-Packard, for information on Pluto.
 

                                                          Bibliography
 

Beer, Ferdinand P. and Johnston, E. Russell Jr.. Mechanics for Engineers.
    U.S.A.: York Graphic Services copywright 1976

"Buie Pluto Research". Online (Available) http://www.lowell.edu/users/buie/pluti/pluto.htm 12/5/98

 Menzel, Donald H. A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company
    copywright 1964

Moore, Patrick and Hunt, Gary. Atlas of the Solar System. Chicago: Randy McNally And
    Company copywright 1983

"Pluto". Online (Available)http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/pluto.htm 10/15/98

"Pluto," Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, (1989 ed.) Vol. II, 1276-1277

"Pluto & Charon". Online (Available) http://www.allego.uno-bremen.de/solar/pluto.htm 11/20/98

"Welcome to Pluto Homepage". Online (Available) http://dosxx.colorado.edu/plutihome.html
    11/13/98