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comet, meteors, asteroids

Total questions: 102

Worksheet time: 2hrs 42mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Before it becomes a "shooting star", the actual bit of solid stuff coming from space is called ___
a)
a meteoroid
b)
a meteor
c)
a meteorite
d)
an asteroid
2.
The phenomenon of a meteoroid getting hot and blazing across the sky is called ___
a)
a comet
b)
a meteor
c)
a meteorite
d)
an asteroid
3.
If a meteor hits the ground, we call it ___
a)
a meteoroid
b)
a fallen star
c)
a meteorite
d)
an asteroid
4.

A ____ is a piece of rocky interplanetary matter traveling through space.

a)

Meteoroid

b)

Meteor

c)

Meteorite

5.

A ____ is the light that is produced as a piece of rocky interplanetary matter burns when it enters the Earth's atmosphere.

a)

Meteoroid

b)

Meteor

c)

Meteorite

6.
A meteorite is DIFFERENT from a comet mainly because
a)
has a tail of ice and gas
b)
is found in orbit between Jupiter and Mars
c)
enters the Earth's atmoshere
d)
has a nucleus mad of rock and snow.
7.

When can we see comets?

a)

When they land on Earth

b)

When they break through our atmosphere

c)

When they travel close to the sun

d)

When they travel past the moon

8.

What is a meteorite?

a)

A small comet

b)

A broken meteor

c)

A broken planet

d)

A piece of stone or metal

9.

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

10.

Where is the Oort Cloud?

a)

Between the Sun and Mercury

b)

After Neptune

c)

Between the Earth and the Moon

d)

Between Earth and Mars

11.

Galileo saw that much of the moon's surface is covered with round pits called ______.

a)

telescope

b)

satellite

c)

geosynchronous orbits

d)

crater

e)

maria

12.

Galileo made his own ________ by putting two lenses in a wooden tube.

a)

satellite

b)

geosynchronous orbit

c)

maria

d)

telescope

e)

crater

13.

The moon's surface also has dark, flat areas, called ________, which is Latin for "seas"

a)

telescope

b)

maria

c)

crater

d)

geosynchronous orbit

e)

satellite

14.

What is the approximate size of the moon.

a)

about twice the size of Earth

b)

about half Earth's diameter

c)

about the size of Hawaii

d)

about one quarter Earth's diameter

15.

What is the first step of the theory of the Moon's Origin?

a)

A large object strikes Earth.

b)

Material from Earth's outer layer breaks off.

c)

The material from Earth is thrown into orbit.

d)

Material in orbit forms the moon.

16.

What is the second part of the theory of the Moon's Origin?

a)

Material in orbit forms the moon.

b)

The material from Earth is thrown into orbit.

c)

Material from Earth's outer layer breaks off.

d)

A large object strikes.

17.

Which is the third part of the theory of the Moon's Origin?

a)

Material from Earth's outer layer breaks off.

b)

Material from Earth is thrown into orbit.

c)

A large object strikes Earth.

d)

Material in orbit forms the moon.

18.

What is the last part of the theory of the Moon's Origin?

a)

A large object strikes Earth.

b)

The material from Earth is thrown into orbit.

c)

Material in orbit forms the moon.

d)

Material from Earth's outer layer breaks off.

19.

Who made a telescope in 1609 that allowed him to see details of the moon nobody had ever seen before?

a)

John F. Kennedy

b)

Neil Armstrong

c)

Galileo Galilei

d)

Buzz Aldrin

20.

What are the features of the moon's surface?

a)

meteors

b)

craters

c)

highlands

d)

oceans

e)

maria

21.

What causes craters on the moon?

a)

hurricanes

b)

meteorides

c)

volcanoes

d)

tornadoes

22.

Which best describes maria?

a)

Highland peaks that cast dark shadows

b)

Low, dry areas that were once flooded with molten material

c)

Vast oceans that cover much of the moon

d)

Craters made from exploded volcanoes

23.

Which president of the United States launched an enormous program of space exploration and scientific research in the early 1960's?

a)

Ronald Reagan

b)

George Washington

c)

Abraham Lincoln

d)

John F. Kennedy

24.

Which spacecraft flew into orbit around the moon in July, 1969.

a)

Surveyor

b)

Sputnik 1

c)

Skylab

d)

Apollo 11

25.

Who was the first person to walk on the moon?

a)

Michael Collins

b)

Buzz Aldrin

c)

Neil Armstrong

d)

Galileo Galilei

26.

What did Neil Armstrong say when he took his first step onto the moon?

(a)  

27.

How have scientists learned about the material that makes up the moon's surface?

4 lines
28.

How do scientists know that the moon's surface once was very hot?

4 lines
29.

What did scientists conclude from moon rocks that had been broken apart and then reformed?

4 lines
30.

The interior of the moon remains very hot.

a)

true

b)

false

31.

Seismometers detected extremely strong moonquakes on the moon.

a)

true

b)

false

32.

Which sentences are true about the far side of the moon.

a)

It is almost completely covered with maria.

b)

It is rougher than the near side.

c)

It has few maria.

d)

It is ver smooth with no visible craters.

33.

In 1998, what did the Lunar Prospector discover about the moon's poles?

4 lines
34.

Often called a dirty snowball because of its composition

a)

Asteroid

b)

Meteor

c)

Comet

35.

They are leftovers from the formation of the solar system

a)

Asteroid

b)

Comet

c)

Meteor

36.

Often called shooting or falling stars

a)

Asteroid

b)

Comet

c)

Meteor

37.

All of them have a cloud called a coma and most have a tail

a)

Asteroid

b)

Comet

c)

Meteor

38.

There are millions of them but only a few thousand have been specifically identified

a)

Asteroid

b)

Comet

c)

Meteor

39.

Some of these can grow up to 90 million miles in length

a)

Asteroid

b)

Comet

c)

Meteor

40.

When falling to the Earth, many burn up and some land where we can see!

a)

Asteroid

b)

Comet

c)

Meteor

41.

Most of them are located between the inner and outer planet boundary

a)

Asteroid

b)

Comet

c)

Meteor

42.

Depending on their location, they may have different names

a)

Asteroid

b)

Comet

c)

Meteor

43.

They originate from the Kuiper Belt or from the Oort Cloud

a)

Asteroid

b)

Comet

c)

Meteor

44.

Check all the following statements that are TRUE

a)

Asteroids are made of rock and metal

b)

Comets are made of ice, rock, and dust

c)

Comets can be found in the Oort Cloud

d)

All the above

45.

Asteroids are irregularly shaped due to less mass and gravitational force

a)

TRUE

b)

FALSE

46.

Asteroids can range in size from 1 meter to 1000Km

a)

TRUE

b)

FALSE

47.

Comets make there way around the sun in an elliptical orbit.

a)

TRUE

b)

FALSE

48.

Where are most of the asteroids in the solar system located?

a)

Asteroid Belt

b)

Orion's Belt

c)

Gemini Area

49.

What compromises the structure of a comet?

a)

Nucleus, Coma, Dust tail, Ice

b)

Nucleus, Dust tail & gases

c)

Nucleus, Coma, dust tail & gas tail (ion tail)

50.

Nickname for Comets--

a)

Rocks that glow

b)

rock "stars"

c)

dirty snowballs

51.

As comets approach the sun they travel faster and have:

a)

shorter tails

b)

medium tails

c)

longer tails

d)

no tails due to solar winds

52.

After orbiting the sun frequently Comets break into:

a)

meteors

b)

meteoroids

c)

meteorites

53.

As a meteor enters the earths atmosphere the pressure from the air molecules causes it to heat up

a)

TRUE

b)

FALSE

54.

A meteoroid is found

a)

in Space

b)

entering earths atmosphere

c)

impacting earths surface

55.

Meteor is also known as a shooting star

a)

TRUE

b)

FALSE

56.

What creates a bowl shaped hole known as a crater

a)

meteor

b)

meteorite

c)

meteoroid

57.

What contributed to the extinction of dinosaurs 65 million years ago? Check all that apply

a)

impact asteroid

b)

blocking of sunlight

c)

plants could not photsynthesize

58.

A high frequency of meteors entering Earth's atmosphere is called a

a)

meteor shower

b)

Constellation

59.

What happens when the comets go near the sun?

a)

the tails are developed

b)

become smaller

c)

disappear

d)

burned

60.

Which of the following is not true about meteors?

a)

Some portions are burned up in the atmosphere

b)

They do not reach the ground of the Earth

c)

Scientists can collect so much of it

d)

They come in a group

61.

What is the main difference between asteroids and meteoroids?

a)

Asteroids are pieces of comets, whereas meteoroids are pieces of space debris

b)

Asteroids are only found in the “belt” between Mars and Jupiter

c)

Meteoroids are generally bigger than asteroids

d)

Asteroids are generally bigger than meteoroids

62.

How do we know if a meteor has made contact with Earth’s atmosphere?

a)

It burns up and becomes a “shooting star”

b)

A species like the dinosaurs die out

c)

We find space rock on the ground

d)

Humans on Earth die

63.

What is found in the middle of Mars and Jupiter’s orbit?

a)

Asteroid belt

b)

Comets

c)

Meteors

d)

Planets

64.

What part of the comet forms around a comet's nucleus? This cloud is made by solar wind striking the surface of the nucleus, causing a mixture of gas and dust to form around it.

a)

Coma

b)

Fire

c)

Light

d)

Ring

65.

What type of asteroids that is rich in metallic substances such as nickel- iron, giving them reddish in color?

a)

C – type

b)

M – type

c)

N – type

d)

S – type

66.

Which among the choices is one similarity between asteroids, comets, and meteors?

a)

come from the Asteroid belt

b)

come from the Oort cloud

c)

made of rock

d)

orbit the Sun

67.

Which best describes the tail of a comet?

a)

Trails behind the comet, pointing away from the Sun as the comet approaches it, and toward the Sun as the comet moves out of the inner Solar System.

b)

gas and dust expelled from the comet’s nucleus and blown outward by radiation pressure and the solar wind

c)

gas and dust pulled off the comet by the Sun’s gravity

d)

always points away from the Sun

68.

Which of these objects that orbit the sun are nicknamed, “dirty snowballs”?

a)

asteroids

b)

comets

c)

meteors

d)

meteoroids

69.

What are meteors made of?

a)

chunks of rocks and minerals

b)

butterfly wings

c)

gas and dust

d)

fish

70.

Which of the following statement is false?

a)

The largest asteroid in the asteroid belt is Ceres

b)

Ceres and Vesta are both in the asteroid belt

c)

The asteroid belt contains millions of asteroids

d)

Pluto is in the asteroid belt

71.

Where do Asteroids “hang out” in our solar system?

a)

Asteroid belt

b)

Kuiper belt

c)

Oort cloud

d)

Planetary rings

72.

Which space object is larger?

a)

asteroid

b)

meteor

c)

meteorite

d)

meteoroid

73.

When does a meteor shower occur?

a)

when the tail of a comet enters the Earth atmosphere

b)

when a meteoroid enters the Earth atmosphere

c)

when there are fireworks in the sky

d)

when an asteroid falls on the earth

74.

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

a)

Asteroid

b)

Meteor

c)

Meteorite

d)

Comet

75.

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

a)

Dust

b)

Metal

c)

Ice

d)

Small rocky particles

76.

Asteroids are found in a region called the

a)

Kuiper Belt

b)

Asteroid Belt

c)

Oort Cloud

d)

Earth's surface

77.

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

78.

Which object in space is larger?

a)

Asteroid

b)

Meteoroid

79.

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

80.

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

81.

What do asteroids, comets and meteors all have in common?

a)

They are all made of rock/iron

b)

They are all made of ice and dust

c)

They all orbit the sun

d)

They are all found in the asteroid belt

82.

Where do comets form/come from?

a)

Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud

b)

Asteroid Belt

c)

Earth's atmosphere

d)

Earth's surface

83.

Ceres is the largest asteroid located in the asteroid belt. It is nearly 587 miles wide and is between the orbits of ________________

a)

the sun and Earth

b)

Mars and Jupiter

c)

Saturn and Neptune

d)

Jupiter and Uranus

84.

Which object in space looks like a "dirty snowball" because of its composition of ice, gas and dust?

a)

Asteroid

b)

Meteoroid

c)

Comet

d)

Meteor

85.

A small rock orbiting the sun in space. This object is a small broken off piece of a larger asteroid

a)

Meteoroid

b)

Meteor

c)

Meteorite

86.

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

a)

Meteorite

b)

Meteor

c)

Meteoroid

87.

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

88.

Planets, asteroids, comets and meteoroids all stay in orbit around the sun due to the sun's strong force of _________________

a)

electricity

b)

solar power

c)

gravity

d)

motion

89.

What does magnitude tell about a comet?

a)

size

b)

brightness

c)

shape of orbit

d)

color

90.

What is a comet made of?

a)

ice

b)

rock and metal

c)

gas

d)

ice, rock, dust, and gases

91.

What is another name you could call a comet?

a)

fire rock

b)

dusty ball

c)

dirty snowball

d)

rocky ball

92.

What does eccentricity tell about a comet?

a)

shape of orbit

b)

size

c)

color

d)

brightness

93.

Comets are named after

a)

astronauts

b)

the person who discovers them

c)

teachers

d)

presidents

94.

Sublimation is

a)

a gas changing to a liquid

b)

a solid melting to a liquid

c)

a liquid changing to a gas

d)

going directly from a solid to a gas

95.

Short period comets takes less than ______years to orbit the sun.

a)

200

b)

100

c)

300

d)

400

96.

The fuzzy halo around a comet's nucleus is called the

a)

coma

b)

cloud

c)

tail

d)

magnitude

97.

If a comet's eccentricity is 0.799, it's orbit would have a ____________ shape.

a)

elliptical

b)

circular

c)

square

d)

irregular

98.

If a comet's eccentricity is 0.234, it's orbit would have a __________ shape.

a)

elliptical

b)

circular

c)

square

d)

irregular

99.

Which magnitude number is brightest?

a)

2.4

b)

9.5

c)

-3.9

d)

0.2

100.

All comets have tails when they are near the sun.

a)

True

b)

False

101.

The frozen center of a comet is called the

a)

coma

b)

tail

c)

nucleus

d)

snowball

102.

A comet's tail always

a)

is pushed away from the sun by solar wind

b)

points toward the sun

c)

disappears near the sun

d)

gets smaller near the sun