8.10.4-Dwarf Planets & Other Objects

Other Solar System Objects / Study Guide

Most of the smaller objects in the solar system are found in three different regions: the asteroid belt, the Kuiper Belt, and the Oort Cloud. The asteroid belt is an area between Mars and Jupiter. Most asteroids, as well as one dwarf planet, are located in the asteroid belt.

Multiple Choice

The _____ is an area between Mars and Jupiter.

• Milky Way Galaxy

• Oort Cloud

• Kuiper Belt

• asteroid belt

The Kuiper Belt is an area beyond the orbit of Neptune. Most dwarf planets are found in the Kuiper Belt. The Oort Cloud is the region that surrounds the solar system. It extends from beyond the Kuiper Belt halfway to the next nearest star. Most comets originate in the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud.

Chapter 10
The Solar System
Lesson 8.10.4-Dwarf Planets & Other Objects




Mrs. Freeman's Classroom (Notes to Print

What we will discuss...

​LESSON 4
TN-8.ESS.1.2

Chapter 10-The Solar System
Lesson 8.10.4 - Dwarf Planets and Other Objects

Essential Questions we will answer in this lesson:

1. What is a dwarf planet?

What are the characteristics of comets and asteroids?

How does an impact crater form?

Be sure to answer the questions as you complete the quiz. Turn in with your MASTERY SCORE (80% minimum or REDO) at the end.

​Complete the vocabulary using Chapter 10 of your textbook.

Now complete your notes pages. Be sure to address the key concepts which are the essential questions you will know after this lesson.

Chapter 10-The Solar System
Lesson 8.10.4 - Dwarf Planets and Other Objects

Essential Questions we will answer in this lesson:

1. What is a dwarf planet?

What are the characteristics of comets and asteroids?

How does an impact crater form?

Be sure to answer the questions as you complete the quiz. Turn in with your MASTERY SCORE (80% minimum or REDO) at the end.

​1st

Like a planet, a dwarf planet is a spherical object that orbits the Sun. However, a dwarf planet does not have enough mass to clear other celestial bodies out of its orbit. For example, the dwarf planet Eris shares its orbital path with Neptune and Pluto. Therefore, it is not in the same category as a planet. A dwarf planet is a spherical object that orbits the Sun and does not clear the area of its orbit.

There are five dwarf planets that have been identified in our solar system. They include Pluto, Ceres, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris. All of the dwarf planets are made out of ice and rock, and all have masses smaller than Earth's Moon. Despite their small size, dwarf planets can have moons. For example, Pluto has five moons. All of the dwarf planets except for Ceres are located in the Kuiper Belt. Ceres is located in the asteroid belt.

Pluto was classified as a planet until 2006, when it was reclassified as a dwarf planet. In 2015, a spacecraft approached Pluto and took detailed images of it. These new images are helping astronomers to further study and understand dwarf planets.

Multiple Choice

Which of these features are unique to a Planet, as compared to a Dwarf Planet

• spherical

• clears the area of its orbit

• orbits the sun

• does not clear the area of its orbit

Multiple Choice

Most dwarf planets in the solar system are located in the _________.

• Dwarf Galaxy

• asteroid belt

• Kuiper Belt

• meteoroid belt

• Oort Cloud

Multiple Choice

All dwarf planets are smaller than Earth's moon.

Multiple Choice

A dwarf planet is not considered a planet because people cannot live on it.

Multiple Choice

Dwarf planets orbit other planets.

Multiple Choice

Dwarf planets can have moons.

Multiple Choice

Pluto is a dwarf moon.

Multiple Choice

Name the force that is holding the planets in Orbit to the sun

• Magnetism

• Inertia

• Gravity

• Push/Pull

Multiple Choice

Name the force that keeps objects from being pulled into the sun

• Magnetism

• Inertia

• Gravity

• Push/Pull

Chapter 10-The Solar System
Lesson 8.10.4 - Dwarf Planets and Other Objects

Essential Questions we will answer in this lesson:

What is a dwarf planet?

What are the characteristics of comets and asteroids?

How does an impact crater form?

Be sure to answer the questions as you complete the quiz. Turn in with your MASTERY SCORE (80% minimum or REDO) at the end.

2nd

3 Types of Space rocks

• Comets

• Asteroids

• Meteoroids

Comets

• Small icy object that orbits the sun

• 3 Parts: a nucleus, a coma, and a tail

• Nucleus: a core of ice rock and dust.

• Coma: a cloud of dust and gas that forms when a comet gets close to the sun.

• Tail: gas from the coma that trails a comet pushed by solar wind

Comets

• Comets orbit the sun, in broad orbits

• Halley's Comet takes 75 years to orbit the sun

• The Hale-Bopp comet takes 2,533 years to orbit the sun.

Multiple Select

Which of the choices are characteristics of comets?

• coma

• tail

• green light

• ice

Multiple Choice

What type of body has a nucleus, a coma, and a tail?

• asteroids

• meteoroids

• comets

• planets

Multiple Choice

Structure is like a giant dirty snowball

• Comet

• Meteor

• Asteroid

Multiple Choice

Where is the asteroid belt located?

• Between mars and jupiter

• Between Jupiter and Saturn

• Between Venus and Earth

• Between your home and Johnson Stem

Multiple Select

The big asteroid belt in our solar system is between what two planets?

• Earth

• Mars

• Jupiter

• Saturn

3 Types of Space rocks

• Comets

• Asteroids

• Meteoroids

Multiple Choice

The total mass of all of the asteroids in the asteroid belt is less than the mass of Earth's Moon.

• True

• False

Asteroids

• irregularly shaped rocks

• Can be very large

• Large asteroids are sometimes called minor planets or planetoids

• Some asteroids even have a core like a planet

• Ceres was once classified as an asteroid, but is now considered a dwarf planet.

Ceres

• Largest object in the asteroid belt

• Classified as a dwarf planet

• Smaller than our moon

• Visited by a space craft/probeMay have water; possibility of life.

Vesta

• The largest asteroid in the asteroid belt

• Has a crust, mantle, and a core.

• Accounts for about 9 percent of the mass of all asteroids.

Multiple Choice

What is the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt?

• Ceres

• 4 Vesta

• Bennu

• Eros

Comets have an Elliptical or Oval Shaped Path

Multiple Select

What are comets MAINLY made out of - Select ALL that apply

• Metal

• Dust

• Ice

• Reindeer

Multiple Choice

Where are comets found?

• The Asteroid Belt

• Between The Sun and Earth

• Between Mars and Jupiter

• Kuiper Belt/Ort Cloud

Multiple Choice

Structure is like a giant dirty snowball

• Comet

• Meteor

• Asteroid

Multiple Choice

Is made of dust and rock and burns up in Earth's atmosphere

• Comet

• Meteor

• Asteroid

Multiple Choice

Made up of rock similar to the rock that formed the planets

• Comet

• Meteor

• Asteroid

Multiple Choice

Is made up of rock, dust, frozen water, ammonia, and methane

• Comet

• Meteor

• Asteroid

Multiple Choice

Most of them are located between Mars and Jupiter

• Comet

• Meteor

• Asteroid

Multiple Choice

The _____ is an area beyond the orbit of Neptune where most dwarf planets are found.

• Milky Way Galaxy

• Oort Cloud

• Kuiper Belt

• asteroid belt

Multiple Choice

The _____ is the region that surrounds the solar system and extends halfway to the next nearest star.

• Milky Way Galaxy

• Oort Cloud

• Kuiper Belt

• asteroid belt

Chapter 10-The Solar System
Lesson 8.10.4 - Dwarf Planets and Other Objects

Essential Questions we will answer in this lesson:

What is a dwarf planet?

What are the characteristics of comets and asteroids?

How does an impact crater form?

Be sure to answer the questions as you complete the quiz. Turn in with your MASTERY SCORE (80% minimum or REDO) at the end.

3rd

Impacts on Earth

• Asteroids: Rocky objects that orbit the Sun, often found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Can cause significant damage if they collide with Earth.
• Kuiper Belt Objects: Icy bodies that exist beyond Neptune. Less likely to impact Earth, but can still pose a threat.

Craters

• Craters are formed when large meteroids make it through Earth's atmosphere and collide with Earth

• There are smaller and larger craters all over the Earth. Some are easily spotted some are hidden.

• The last large crater is believed to have been formed 4000 years ago.

Space Rocks

• Asteroids ar large space rocks

• Comets are are small icy objects that orbit the sun. They have a nucleus, a coma, and a tail.

• Meteors are small space rocks and dust.

• All orbit the sun in some way or another.

• Craters are holes cause by meteoroids hitting the Earth (or other objects).

Open Ended

Why does the moon seem to have more craters than the Earth?

distant "cloud" of rock

surrounds the Solar System VERY FAR AWAY

Oort Cloud

What Are These Three Places?

Kuiper Belt

Orbits

a region of icy objects

found at the edge of our Solar System BEYOND Neptune

Narrow paths that go around the Sun

Typically long

The pull of a planet OR other objects that are near the comet CHANGE the direction of its orbit

#1)

The gravitational pull of the SUN takes over and starts the comet on a NEW orbital path around the Sun!

​​#2)

How Do Comets Get to Earth??

Comets are chunks of rock and ice FROZEN TOGETHER
- This is sometimes referred to as a dirty snowball

As the comet nears the Sun, ice and other frozen gases SUBLIMATE (turn to a gas from a solid)

​

What Do Comets Look Like?

​​A comet's tail ALWAYS points away from the SUN!!! It is NOT always behind the comet!

Comets are chunks of rock and ice FROZEN TOGETHER
- This is sometimes referred to as a dirty snowball

As the comet nears the Sun, ice and other frozen gases SUBLIMATE (turn to a gas from a solid)

​

What Do Comets Look Like?

​​A comet's tail ALWAYS points away from the SUN!!! It is NOT always behind the comet!

Multiple Choice

7) As a comet nears the sun, the ice and gases ______________.

• turn to liquid

• melt

• sublimate (turn to solid)

space rocks that are the size of sand grains to a tiny asteroid

Meteoroids, Meteors, & Meteorites

Now On to Meteors

​Meteoroid

Meteor

a burning up meteoroid moving toward Earth through the atmosphere

Meteorite

a meteoroid that survives the fall and lands on Earth!

​Characteristics?

Meteors are leftover debris from comets or asteroids! They are made of:
- Just Rock,
- Rock AND Metal, OR
- Just Metal

The size of meteors ranges between 20 feet to the size of a sand grain (smaller than an asteroid)

Match

10) Match the following words and definitions.

• Meteor

• Meteoroid

• Meteorite

burning up meteoroid

space rock (size of sand grain)

meteoroid that survived fall to Earth

• burning up meteoroid

• space rock (size of sand grain)

• meteoroid that survived fall to Earth

Multiple Choice

11) Meteors are leftover debris from a ________ or asteroid!

• meteorite

• comet

Meteors are in the path of a COMET

OR

Falling into Earth's atmosphere (this creates a Meteor Shower)

Months that Showers happen:
- August = Perseids
- October = Orionids
- November = Leonids
- December = Geminids

​

Where Are Meteors Found in Space?

Multiple Choice

14) TRUE OR FALSE: Meteors are found in the path of a comet.

• True

• False

Gravity between Earth and the meteoroid INCREASES as it gets CLOSER!

Meteoroid is pulled into EARTH's atmosphere!

As it moves through Earth's atmosphere, it BURNS UP!

​

How Do Meteors Get to Earth?

an oddly shaped rock that is too small to become spherical (like a planet)

Meteoroid

What Do Meteoroids, Meteors, & Meteorites Look Like?

Meteor

Meteorite

a streak of light as it enters Earth's atmosphere and burn up (a shooting star)

a burnt rock that is charred on the outside

Multiple Choice

16) A meteor gets to Earth by _______ pulling it closer to Earth, causing it to burn up!

• the atmosphere

• gravity

Match

17) Match the following words with their appearance.

• Meteorite

• Meteor

• Meteoroid

a burnt rock

a streak of light as enters atmosphere

oddly shaped rock

• a burnt rock

• a streak of light as enters atmosphere

• oddly shaped rock

Physical characteristics depend on how FAR the asteroids formed from the Sun
Some are made of clay and rock
Some are made of metals, such as nickel and iron
SIZE: 10 meters to hundreds of kilometers!

Characteristics?

Asteroids are huge hunks of rock and metal

They are smaller than dwarf planets

Asteroids orbit the Sun

What Are They?

Last, But Not Least, Asteroids!

Multiple Choice

18) Asteroids are...

• giant masses of ice, rock, and other materials formed at the outer edges of Solar System

• huge hunks of space rock and metal that orbit the Sun

• space rocks that get pulled in towards Earth and start to burn up, sometimes hitting Earth

Most asteroids are found in the ASTEROID BELT (this is found in between MARS AND JUPITER)


Asteroid belt was NOT able to form into a planet due to the strong gravitational pull of JUPITER


NEO's (Near-Earth Asteroids) orbit the Sun and cut across the INNER PLANETS


TROJANS share orbits of a planet (Juipter, Neptune, Earth, and Mars have Trojan asteroids)

​

Where Are Asteroids Found in Space?

Multiple Choice

22) TRUE OR FALSE: Only a few asteroids are found in the ASTEROID BELT.

• True

• False

Asteroids get pulled AWAY from the Asteroid Belt by GRAVITY

THIS STARTS A NEW TRAJECTORY AROUND THE SUN

It MAY INTERSECT Earth's Orbit

How Do Asteroids Get to Earth?

NASA sent a mission named LUCY to study Trojan asteroids

GRAVITY on MOST ASTEROIDS is MUCH LESS than on the moon, meaning things are held more WEAKLY

Facts

Asteroids are MASSIVE and oddly shaped

Covered in DUST and IMPACT CRATERS

Looks

What Do Asteroids Look Like?

Multiple Choice

23) Asteroids are pulled away from the _________________ by gravity, which causes the to intersect the orbit of Earth.

• Kuiper Belt

• Oort Cloud

• Asteroid Belt

Multiple Choice

25) Asteroids are covered in...

• dust and impact craters

• ice

• metals