Meteor Quiz

What is a meteoroid?

• A meteor that reaches the ground

• A meteor that is unusually bright

• The visible flash of light observed as a meteoroid ablates in the Earth's atmosphere

• A piece of small rock, metal or ice moving through space

At what height do meteors usually burn up in the Earth's atmosphere?

• 50km

• 80km

• 100km

• 120km

What is the term for a meteor that is unusually bright?

• Comet

• Fireball

• Micrometeoroid

• Meteorite

What is the Hoba meteorite known for?

• Being the smallest meteorite found

• Being the most massive meteorite found

• Being the fastest meteorite

• Being the oldest meteorite

What is a micrometeoroid?

• A large meteoroid

• A meteor that is unusually bright

• A meteor that reaches the ground

• A small meteoroid that can enter the Earth's atmosphere without ablating

What is the difference between 'falls' and 'finds' in meteorite terminology?

• 'Falls' are meteorites that burn up in the atmosphere, 'finds' are those that reach the ground

• 'Falls' are meteorites that are unusually bright, 'finds' are not

• 'Falls' are meteorites found long after they fell, 'finds' are found soon after they fell

• 'Falls' are meteorites found soon after they fell, 'finds' are found long after they fell

What causes meteor showers?

• Random debris colliding with Earth

• Debris from comets and asteroids moving on similar orbits

• Solar flares

• Volcanic eruptions

What is the radiant in a meteor shower?

• The point in the sky from which meteors appear to radiate

• The brightest meteor in the shower

• The point where meteors burn up

• The parent comet of the shower

Which meteor shower is named after a dead constellation?

• Orionids

• Quadrantids

• Leonids

• Geminids

What happens to old meteor streams?

• They become meteor storms

• They form new comets

• They disperse and rates gradually fall

• They become more dense