2015/11/07 by M. E. Caplan, Caplan, M. E.
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Physics Education (physics.ed-ph) #Planetary Science and Exploration
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1511.04297
openalex publication_date 2015/11/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
At approximate radii of 200-300 km, asteroids transition from oblong `potato' shapes to spheres. This limit is known as the Potato Radius, and has been proposed as a classification for separating asteroids from dwarf planets. The Potato Radius can be calculated from first principles based on the elastic properties and gravity of the asteroid. Similarly, the tallest mountain that a planet can support is also known to be based on the elastic properties and gravity. In this work, a simple novel method of calculating the Potato Radius is presented using what is known about the maximum height of mountains and Newtonian gravity for a spherical body. This method does not assume any knowledge beyond high school level mechanics, and may be appropriate for students interested in applications of physics to astronomy.