Asteroids Quiz

Why do scientists often refer to asteroids as “cosmic fossils”?

• They contain living organisms

• They formed recently from planets

• They preserve material from the early solar system

• They are made of fossil fuels

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-6

Which statement BEST describes the asteroid belt?

• A. A dense cluster of asteroids packed closely together

• B. A region with widely spaced rocky objects orbiting the Sun

• C. A ring system around Jupiter

• D. A cloud of gas and dust

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

What evidence suggests some asteroids were once part of larger bodies?

• Their bright colors

• Their spherical shapes

• Asteroid families with similar orbits and composition

• Their distance from the Sun

What makes near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) particularly important to study?

• They are the largest asteroids

• They orbit Jupiter

• They can potentially collide with Earth

• They contain only ice

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-4

What is the main goal of planetary defense programs like Spaceguard?

• Mine asteroids

• Destroy comets

• Detect and track potentially hazardous asteroids

• Build space stations

Which method could scientists use to prevent an asteroid impact?

• Change Earth's orbit

• Destroy the Sun

• Slightly alter the asteroid's orbit years in advance

• Capture the asteroid with gravity

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-4

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3

Why are spacecraft missions to asteroids (like OSIRIS-REx) important?

• They provide direct samples for study

• They change asteroid orbits

• They create new asteroids

• They increase asteroid speed

Tags

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3

Why are scientists and companies interested in asteroid mining?

• Asteroids contain large amounts of valuable metals and resources that could be used on Earth or in space

• Asteroids are needed to create new planets

• Mining asteroids will stop all impacts on Earth

• Asteroids produce energy that can replace the Sun

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-2

NGSS.HS-ETS1-1

Match each asteroid type with its correct description.

•  Metallic composition, rich in iron and

•  C-type

• Rocky/silicate composition, reflective

• M-type

• Carbon-rich, very dark, primitive materi

•  S-type

Match each term with the correct description.

• A small particle from a comet or asteroid

•  Meteor

• Streak of light from a burning meteoroid

• Meteoroid

• A small rocky body orbiting the sun

• Meteorite

• A fragment that reaches the Earth's surface

• Comet

• A celestial object made of ice and dust

• Asteroid