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Asteroids, Meteors, & Comets TEST

Total questions: 28

Worksheet time: 15mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Sometimes I am called a "dirty snowball."

a)

Asteroid

b)

Star

c)

Meteor

d)

Comet

2.

I originate beyond the outer plants, consist of rock, dust, ice, and frozen gases.

a)

comet

b)

asteroid

c)

meteor

d)

star dust

3.
We are composed mainly of rock and metal.
a)
comets and stars
b)
stars and meteors
c)
asteroid and meteors
d)
comets and asteroid
4.

One similarity between asteroids, comets and meteoroids is that they all:

a)

are made of rock

b)

come from the Asteroid Belt

c)

come from the Oort Cloud

d)

orbit the sun

5.

Ceres is...

a)

the largest asteroid in the Kuiper Belt.

b)

the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt.

c)

an asteroid in the Oort cloud.

d)

a comet in the Oort cloud.

6.

The tail of a comet usually faces

a)

toward the sun.

b)

toward the Earth.

c)

away from the Sun.

d)

away from the Earth.

7.

A meteorite is DIFFERENT from a comet mainly because

a)

a meteorite has a tail of ice and gas.

b)

a meteorite is found in orbit between Jupiter and Mars.

c)

a meteorite enters the Earth's atmoshere.

d)

a meteorite is made of rock and snow.

8.

I am sometimes called a shooting star.

a)

meteor

b)

asteroid

c)

comet

9.

I am located between Mars and Jupiter.

a)

Comet belt

b)

Asteroid belt

c)

Meteor belt

d)

Stars

10.

We appear as a streak in the sky.

a)

asteroid and comet

b)

comet and meteor

c)

asteroid and meteor

11.

We orbit the Sun.

a)

asteroid and comet

b)

comet and meteor

c)

asteroid and meteor

12.

I usually burn up in Earth's atmosphere.

a)

meteor

b)

asteroid

c)

comet

13.

Which object in space is NOT made of rock and metal?

a)

Asteroid

b)

Meteor

c)

Meteorite

d)

Comet

14.

Select the 3 materials a comet is composed (made) of

a)

Dust

b)

Metal

c)

Ice

d)

Small rocky particles

15.

The asteroid belt is located between which 2 planets?

a)

Mercury and Venus

b)

Jupiter and Saturn

c)

Uranus and Neptune

d)

Mars and Jupiter

16.

Which object in space is larger?

a)

Asteroid

b)

Meteoroid

17.

Which object in space has a long, narrow orbit around the sun. We never see this object except once every 76 years!

a)

Asteroid

b)

Comet

c)

Meteor

d)

Meteorite

18.

A comet forms a tail when

a)

It is deep in outer space and begins to melt

b)

It gets close to the sun and begins to melt

19.

Where do comets form/come from?

a)

Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud

b)

Asteroid Belt

c)

Earth's atmosphere

d)

Earth's surface

20.

A _____________ bursts through Earth's atmosphere at amazingly fast speeds and appears as a "shooting star"

a)

Meteorite

b)

Meteor

c)

Meteoroid

21.

A meteor that does not burn up in Earth's atmosphere and strikes Earth's surface forming a crater on Earth!

a)

Meteorite

b)

Meteoroid

c)

Meteor

22.

Where do Long-period comets come from?

a)

Kuiper belt

b)

Oort cloud

c)

Past Pluto

23.

How does the orbit of a comet compare to the orbit of a planet?

a)

Comets have a shorter rounder orbit than a planet

b)

Comets have a longer more oblong (oval) like orbit than a planet

c)

They have the same orbit

d)

Comets do not have an orbit, they are all random

24.

What causes Meteoroids to burst into flames upon entering the Earth's Atmosphere?

a)

They are made out of flammable materials

b)

They cannot handle the pressure of Earth

c)

They do not burst into flames, they only reflect the Sun's light

d)

Friction from the Earths atmosphere

25.
D is pointing to which part of a comet?
a)
Coma
b)
Tail
c)
Nucleus
26.
In the diagram, a comet's tail always points where?
a)
Towards the Sun
b)
Away from the Sun
c)
Towards Earth
d)
Away from Earth
27.
Which list correctly orders the lifecycle of a piece of debris as it passes from space down to Earth's surface?
a)
meteorite-meteor-meteoroid
b)
meteor-meteorite-meteoroid
c)
meteoroid-meteor- meteorite
d)
meteor-meteoroid-meteorite
28.

How is Ceres different from all the other asteroids in the solar system?

a)

It has a satellite revolving around it

b)

It rotates on its axis

c)

It revolves around the sun

d)

It's much larger than all other asteroids