Asteroids Comets and Meteoroids

Asteroids Comets and Meteoroids

Whats the difference?

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvd47rMYia0

Asteroids

• Bodies in the solar system that orbit the Sun

• Typically made of rock and metal but can also contain organic compounds.

• Very greatly in size and can be as large as hundreds of miles wide.

• Mainly made of materials left over from the formation of the solar system.

• Similar to comets but do not have a coma (tail) that is visible.

Asteroid Belt

• Most orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter, although some orbit closer.

• The asteroid belt is divided into an inner belt and an outer belt.

• The inner belt is made up of asteroids and contains asteroids that are made of metals.

• The outer belt consists of rocky asteroids.

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FUN FACT

Many scientists believe that an asteroid impact was the cause behind the extinction of the dinosaurs around 65 million years ago.

Multiple Choice

Asteroids are found in our solar system?

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Asteroids can be both very small and very big?

• True

• False

Multiple Select

Where do most asteroids orbit?

• around the sun

• between mars and jupiter

• all over space

• earth

• around saturn

Open Ended

The asteroid belt has two parts, what are they?

Comets

• A small solar system body that orbits the Sun.

• Comets are made of ice, dust and small rocky particles.

Comets

The coma is created as the comet gets closer to the Sun, causing water, carbon dioxide and other compounds to quickly change from solid to gas

When close enough to the Sun they display a visible coma (a fuzzy outline or atmosphere due to solar radiation) and sometimes a tail..

Halley’s Comet

• It is known as a periodic comet (or short term comet) because the time it takes to orbit the Sun is less than 200 years.

• Humans have been observing and recording the comet for thousands of years

• It can be seen from Earth every 75 to 76 years, and since it last appeared in 1986 it will return again sometime in 2061.

Open Ended

What is the main difference between comets and asteroids?

Multiple Choice

Do comets orbit the sun?

• yes

• no

Multiple Select

What do comets consist of?

• ice

• water

• gas

• dust

• rocky particles

Multiple Choice

What is the most well-known comet?

• Mrs. Ellers comet

• comet of 2021

• Halley’s Comet

• comet 2.0

Meteoroids

• A small rock or particle of debris in the solar system. (Any larger they are referred to as Asteroids)

• Range in size from dust to around 10 meters in diameter.

• Approximately 500 meteorites reach the Earth’s surface every year but of those only around 5 ever make it to scientists for study.

Meteoroids

• Meteoroids often enter the Earth’s atmosphere.

• A meteoroid that burns up as it goes through the Earth’s atmosphere is known as a meteor. (Shooting Star)

• When many meteors occur in a close time frame in the same part of the sky it is called a meteor shower.

meteoroid to meterorite

• A meteoroid that survives falling through the Earth’s atmosphere and colliding with the Earth’s surface is known as a meteorite

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Multiple Choice

Many meteoroids fall to earth each day?

• True

• False

Open Ended

What is the difference between meteoroids and a meteorite ?

Multiple Choice

Meteoroids are made up of small rock or particle of debris in the solar system.

• true

• false