Apply It: Other Celestial Objects

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What is the Oort Cloud?

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The Oort Cloud is a theoretical cloud of icy objects that exists in the outermost reaches of our solar system, believed to be the source of long-period comets.

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What are comets?

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Comets are cosmic snowballs made of frozen gas, rock, and dust that originate from the Oort Cloud or the Kuiper Belt.

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What is the Asteroid Belt?

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The Asteroid Belt is a region of space located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, containing many irregularly shaped chunks of rock and metal.

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What are asteroids?

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Asteroids are irregularly shaped chunks of rock and metal that range in size from 1 meter to over 100 kilometers in diameter.

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What is the Kuiper Belt?

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The Kuiper Belt is a region of the solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune, populated with many small icy bodies, including short-period comets.

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What is a meteoroid?

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A meteoroid is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space, smaller than an asteroid, that can become a meteor when it enters Earth's atmosphere.

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What is a meteorite?

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

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Which celestial object is closest to the Sun?

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The Asteroid Belt is the closest to the Sun among the Oort Cloud, Kuiper Belt, and itself.

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Which celestial object is farthest from the Sun?

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The Oort Cloud is the farthest from the Sun among the Asteroid Belt, Kuiper Belt, and itself.

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What are meteors?

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Meteors are the bright streaks of light produced when meteoroids burn up in the Earth's atmosphere.