Rock Comet Meteor Shower Quiz

What makes the Geminid meteor shower different from most other meteor showers?

• It occurs in the summer.

• It happens once every two years.

• It is caused by a rocky object, not an icy comet.

• It is visible only from the Southern Hemisphere.

What is the name of the rocky object associated with the Geminid meteor shower?

• 3200 Phaethon

• Halley's Comet

• Orionid

• Asteroid Pallas

What is a 'rock comet'?

• A comet made entirely of rock.

• An asteroid that behaves like a comet when near the sun.

• A type of asteroid found in the main belt.

• A meteor shower caused by a comet.

What did the STEREO spacecraft observe about 3200 Phaethon?

• It collided with another asteroid.

• It brightened unexpectedly, suggesting dust ejection.

• It moved away from the sun.

• It split into two separate objects.

Why is the 'rock comet' hypothesis not fully sufficient to explain the Geminid meteor shower?

• 3200 Phaethon is too far from Earth.

• The amount of dust ejected is too small.

• The orbit of 3200 Phaethon does not match the Geminid debris stream.

• The Geminids occur in the wrong season.