The Planetary System Groupat the Uppsala Astronomical Observatory |
The Planetary System Groupat the Uppsala Astronomical Observatory |
Ever since Piazzi in 1801 discovered the first asteroid, it has been regarded necessary to consider the minor bodies when making models concerning the evolution of the Solar System. During the last few decades it has become clear that asteroids and comets are objects that are essentially unaltered since their formation, and hence provide invaluable information about the conditions in the early Solar System, its structure and evolution, and, indeed, cosmogony in general.
In the planetary system group we combine theoretical work and observations, using the latest technology in the form of telescopes and computers, for a variety of projects ranging from basic photometry of asteroids to detailed numerical studies of the orbits of the minor bodies in the Solar System and detailed modelling of cometary activity.