Quiz on Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors

What is the largest type of space rock mentioned?

• Asteroid

• Meteorite

• Meteor

• Comet

Where is the asteroid belt located?

• Between Jupiter and Saturn

• Outside the Kuiper Belt

• Between Mars and Jupiter

• Between Earth and Mars

What is Ceres classified as?

• A meteor

• An asteroid

• A comet

• A dwarf planet

What is the nickname given to comets due to their composition?

• Stony iron

• Rocky ring

• Dirty snowball

• Gas giant

What happens when a comet gets close to the Sun?

• The ice melts and forms a gas

• It splits into two

• It forms a tail

• It turns into a meteor

What are meteors commonly known as?

• Shooting stars

• Space diamonds

• Sky rocks

• Moon shards

From where do long-period comets originate?

• The Kuiper Belt

• The Oort Cloud

• The Asteroid Belt

• Mars' orbit

What is a meteorite?

• A small star

• A large asteroid

• A meteor that does not burn up in Earth's atmosphere

• A comet that hits Earth

Which of these is not a dwarf planet?

• Pluto

• Ceres

• Vesta

• Eris

What is the shortest orbital period of any known comet?

• 76 years

• 3.3 years

• 200 years

• 1,000 years