Small Bodies in the Solar System Quiz

Which of these objects is pictured in the diagram?

• a meteoroid

• a meteor

• an asteroid

• a meteorite

Which term defines a small, irregularly shaped body made of icy material that orbits the sun?

• comet

• meteor

• asteroid

• meteorite

Thinking about the dwarf planets we discussed, which characteristic does a dwarf planet not meet?

• Orbits the sun

• Round in shape due to its mass

• Cleared its orbital path of other space objects

• Meets All

Where is the Oort cloud located?

• between the sun and Mercury

• within the asteroid belt

• between the asteroid belt and the Kuiper Belt

• beyond the orbit of Pluto

When an asteroid or comet reaches the Earth’s atmosphere it becomes a _____?

• Meteor

• Meteorite

• Meteoroid

• Asteroid

Ceres, Pluto, and Eris are all dwarf planets. In what order would you put them in a list from fastest to slowest in orbiting the sun?

• Eris, Pluto, Ceres

• Pluto, Ceres, Eris

• Ceres, Eris, Pluto

• Ceres, Pluto, Eris

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

People sometimes talk about seeing shooting stars. What do they actually see?

• a meteoroid traveling through space

• a star that is moving through the galaxy

• a meteoroid that burns up in Earth’s atmosphere

• a comet that has come close enough to Earth’s atmosphere to be seen

Which dwarf planet we discussed has the most number of moons?

• Eris

• Pluto

• Haumea

• Makemake

Where do most all small celestial bodies originate in our solar system?

     

• Asteroid Belt

• Kuiper Belt

• Oort Cloud

• All are correct

Which term defines a small, irregularly shaped body made of rocky material?

• Comet

• Meteor

• Asteroid

• None are correct