Comets Meteors and Asteroids

Front

What is a comet?

Back

A comet is a small celestial body made of ice, dust, and rocky material that, when passing close to the sun, heats up and releases gases, forming a glowing coma and sometimes a tail.

Front

What is a meteor?

Back

A meteor is a streak of light produced when a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere and burns up due to friction with the air.

Front

What is an asteroid?

Back

An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the sun, primarily found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Front

Where are most asteroids located?

Back

Most asteroids are located in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Front

What is the difference between a meteoroid, meteor, and meteorite?

Back

Meteoroids are small pieces of rock or metal in space, meteors are the bright streaks of light they create when entering the atmosphere, and meteorites are the fragments that land on Earth.

Front

What causes gravitational pull?

Back

Gravitational pull is the force that attracts two bodies towards each other, depending on their masses and the distance between them.

Front

What is the role of gravity in space?

Back

Gravity keeps planets in orbit around the sun and moons in orbit around planets.

Front

What is the tail of a comet made of?

Back

The tail of a comet is made of gas and dust that is released when the comet approaches the sun.

Front

What happens to a meteoroid when it enters the Earth's atmosphere?

Back

When a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere, it heats up and produces a bright streak of light, becoming a meteor.

Front

What is the difference between a comet and an asteroid?

Back

Comets are made of ice and dust and develop tails when near the sun, while asteroids are primarily rocky and do not have tails.