WorksheetsComets, Dwarf Planets, Asteroids, and Meteor Questions
Total questions: 21
Worksheet time: 11mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
1. In 2006, astronomers decided that (a) would no longer be considered a planet.
2.
2. All comets have a ___________________ that is composed of ice and rock.
a)
tail
b)
nucleus
c)
coma
3.
3. There are two regions in the Solar System where comets might come from, the ____________________ belt and the __________________ cloud.
a)
Asteroid, Kuiper
b)
Kuiper, Oort
c)
Asteroid, Oort
4.
4. A spherical region that surrounds the Solar System that extends from the Kuiper Belt to almost halfway to the nearest star and that contains billions of comets is called a/an ______________________________.
a)
Asteroid Belt
b)
Kuiper Belt
c)
Oort Cloud
5.
5. List the 5 current dwarf planets. ___________________, ___________________, _____________________, _______________________, and ___________________.
a)
Ceres
b)
MakeMake
c)
Eris
d)
Pluto
e)
Haumea
6.
6. A/an _______________________ is a small, irregularly shaped, rocky object that orbits the sun.
a)
comet
b)
asteroid
c)
meteor
d)
meteorite
7.
7. A bright streak of light that results when a meteoroid burns up in Earth’s atmosphere is called a ____________________.
a)
comet
b)
asteroid
c)
meteor
d)
meteorite
8.
8. Most _____________________ are located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
a)
asteroids
b)
dwarf planets
c)
comets
d)
meteors
e)
meteoroids
9.
9. A _______________________ is a small body of ice, rock, and dust that follows a highly elliptical orbit around the sun.
a)
meteor
b)
asteroid
c)
comet
d)
meteoroid
e)
meteorite
10.
10. The __________________________ is a region of the Solar System that begins just beyond the orbit of Neptune and contains small bodies made mostly of ice.
a)
Oort Cloud
b)
Kuiper Belt
c)
Asteroid Belt
11.
11. A ___________________________ is a round celestial body revolving about the sun, similar to a planet but not large enough to gravitationally clear its orbital region of most or all other celestial bodies.
a)
asteroid
b)
comet
c)
dwarf planet
d)
meteor
12.
12. Identify C on the picture of the comet.
a)
coma
b)
nucleus
c)
tail
13.
13. Comets travel (faster/slower) as they move closer to the sun.
a)
faster
b)
slower
14.
14. A meteoroid that reaches Earth’s surface without burning up is called a _______________________________.
a)
meteor
b)
meteorite
15.
15. A sand-to-boulder-sized, rocky body that travels through space is called a/an ____________________________________.
a)
meteor
b)
meteorite
c)
meteoroid
16.
16. Identify A on the picture of the comet.
a)
coma
b)
nucleus
c)
tail
17.
17. The region between Mars and Jupiter that is 300 million km wide is known as the _____________________________________.
a)
Kuiper Belt
b)
Asteroid Belt
18.
18. A spherical cloud of gas and dust that comes off of the nucleus of a comet is called a __________________.
a)
coma
b)
nucleus
c)
tail
19.
19. A trail of gas and dust that a comet leaves behind when it travels through the Solar System is called a ___________________________.
a)
coma
b)
nucleus
c)
tail
20.
20. The Kuiper Belt is located beyond the orbit of _________________________.
a)
Mars
b)
Jupiter
c)
Saturn
d)
Uranus
e)
Neptune
21.
21. Identify letter B in the picture of a comet.
a)
tail
b)
coma
c)
nucleus
100 %
