Asteroids, Meteors, and Comets

Front

What are comets primarily made of?

Back

Comets are primarily made of ice, dust, and rocky material.

Front

Where do comets come from?

Back

Comets come from the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud.

Front

What is a meteoroid?

Back

A meteoroid is a small rock or particle from space that is smaller than an asteroid.

Front

What is a meteorite?

Back

A meteorite is a meteoroid that survives its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and lands on the Earth's surface.

Front

What is the difference between a meteor and a meteoroid?

Back

A meteoroid is a small rock in space, while a meteor is the streak of light produced when a meteoroid burns up in the Earth's atmosphere.

Front

What is the Asteroid Belt?

Back

The Asteroid Belt is a region in space between Mars and Jupiter where many asteroids are found.

Front

What happens to a comet when it gets close to the sun?

Back

When a comet gets close to the sun, it heats up, causing its ice to melt and form a glowing tail.

Front

What is the Oort Cloud?

Back

The Oort Cloud is a theoretical cloud of icy objects that is believed to surround the solar system and is a source of long-period comets.

Front

What is a long-period comet?

Back

A long-period comet is a comet that takes more than 200 years to orbit the sun.

Front

What is a short-period comet?

Back

A short-period comet is a comet that takes less than 200 years to orbit the sun.