Other Members of the Solar System

What happens to a comet as it gets close to the Sun?

• It melts and disappears.

• It explodes.

• It forms long tails made of gas and dust.

• It interacts with other planets.

What is a space object called when it lands on Earth?

• A comet

• A meteorite

• A meteoroid

• An asteroid

Andy and Kristine look up into the night sky and see a fiery streak falling towards the Earth. Which of the following did they see?

• An asteroid

• A comet

• A planet

• A meteor

Where is the birthplace of a Comet?

(a)  

Which of the following BEST describes the difference between comets and asteroids?

• Comets orbit planets; most asteroids orbit the sun.

• Comets are hot balls of gas; asteroids are made up mostly of ice.

• Comets are made up mostly of ice; asteroids are made mostly of rocks.

• Comets orbit the sun between Mars and Jupiter; asteroids form patterns in the sky.

Under what conditions would you BEST see meteors in the sky?

• The sky is bright.

• There are clouds.

• The sun shines bright during the day.

• It is a clear, moonless night with no bright lights.

You are hiking in the Arctic Circle and find a piece of rock. After testing it, you discover that it is from Mars. What is the most likely explanation for how this rock got there?

• A meteoroid came to Earth on a comet.

• The rock broke off from Mars a while ago and came to Earth like a meteor.

• An alien came and left the Earth.

• Mars and Earth crashed into each a while ago, and Mars left some debris behind.

Scientists believed that most of the asteroids, meteors, and comets come from which of the following?

• Debris from planets in other galaxies.

• Leftover materials from the solar system when it was still forming.

• Materials that have evaporated from the surface of the planets of the solar system.

• Pieces of older planets in the solar system that exploded.