Asteroids & Comets Review

Which of the following is NOT a main factor that differentiates asteroids, comets, and meteoroids?

• Composition

• Location

• Size

• Speed

Why aren’t asteroids spherically shaped?

• Their gravitational force is not strong enough

• They are too massive

• They travel through space too slowly

• They strike other objects and knock off parts to make them not spherical

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

What are asteroids made of?

• Dirt

• Ice and Dust

• Rock and Metal

• Solid Iron

Where do comets spend most of their time?

• Close to the Sun

• Near Mars

• The Asteroid Belt

• The Oort Cloud

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

A “shooting star” is more accurately called what?

• Asteroid

• Comet

• Meteor

• Meteorite

What is the difference between meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites?

• Composition

• Location

• Size

• Speed

What differentiates asteroids from dwarf planets?

• Composition

• Location

• Shape

• Speed

What was likely the cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs?

• A violent meteor shower

• A gravitational shift caused by a large comet

• A large asteroid or comet striking the Earth

• Extreme solar wind

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Why does the Moon have more visible craters than Earth?

• The Moon shields the Earth from many meteors

• The Moon lacks an atmosphere to burn up incoming meteors

• Meteors are more attracted to the Moon than the Earth

• The Moon’s surface is softer, so meteors create bigger craters

Which objects has the most elliptical orbit?

• Asteroids

• Comets

• Meteors

• Meteorites