Investigation of Small Solar System Objects with the Space Telescope

Extract

One of the prime motivations behind astronomical research ingeneral, and utilization of the Space Telescope in particular, is ourdesire to understand our ultimate origins. With the ST we expect to find answers to fundamental questions concerning the birth and deathof the universe. But another fundamental question of comparable significance deals with more local beginnings. The Sun and its planetary system were formed long after the initial creation, accreting in an obscure corner of our galaxy by processes perhaps less well understoodthan those of the universal Big Bang. In this paper, I consider ways in which the Space Telescope can contribute to studies of the birth and early evolution of the solar system, through studies of its smaller members.