Asteroids, Meteors and Comets

Front

What is a meteor?

Back

A meteor is a rock or particle from space that enters a planet's atmosphere and burns up, creating a bright streak of light in the sky.

Front

What force causes a meteoroid to burn up in the atmosphere?

Back

Friction is the force that causes a meteoroid to burn up as it enters the atmosphere.

Front

What is a shooting star?

Back

A shooting star is another name for a meteor that is burning up in the atmosphere.

Front

What happens to comets as they approach the sun?

Back

As comets approach the sun, they travel faster and develop longer tails due to the solar wind and heat.

Front

What are comets primarily made of?

Back

Comets are primarily made of ice and rock.

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

How do meteoroids differ from asteroids?

Back

Meteoroids are smaller than asteroids and are often fragments of asteroids or comets.

Front

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

Back

A meteoroid is a small rock in space, a meteor is the streak of light produced when it burns up in the atmosphere, and a meteorite is a meteoroid that survives its passage through the atmosphere and lands on Earth.

Front

What causes the tail of a comet?

Back

The tail of a comet is caused by the solar wind and radiation pressure from the sun, which pushes gas and dust away from the comet.

Front

What is the main difference between comets and asteroids?

Back

Comets are made of ice and rock and have tails when near the sun, while asteroids are primarily made of rock and metal and do not have tails.