Download Chapter 1: Solar System

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Chapter 3: Solar System
Section 5: Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors
Key Concepts:
What are the characteristics of comets?
Where are most asteroids found?
What are the meteoroids and how do they form?
COMETS
CometLoose collections of ice, dust, and small rocky particles whose orbits are usually very long, narrow
ellipses.
Comets are loose collections of ice, dust and small rocky particles whose orbits are usually very long,
narrow ellipses.
A Comet’s Head
ComaClouds of gas and dust that form a fuzzy outer layer
NucleusThe solid inner core of a comet.
What does Comet mean?
"Long-haired star" in Greek.
Origin of Comets
Kuiper belt-
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Is a doughnut-shaped region that extends from beyond Neptune's orbit to about 100 times
Earth's distance from the sun.
Oort cloudIs a spherical region of comets that surrounds the solar system out to more than 1,000 times the
distance between Pluto and the sun.
ASTEROIDS
AsteroidsRocky objects that are too small and too numerous to be considered full-fledged planets.
Most asteroids revolve round the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
asteroid beltThe region of the solar system between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter where most asteroids
revolve around the sun.
Checkpoint: Name the three largest asteroids
Ceres, Pallas, Vesta, and Hygiea
METEORS
MeteoroidA chunk of rock or dust in space.
Meteoroids come from comets or asteroids.
MeteorCreated when a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere and friction with the air creates
heat and produces a streak of ligh tin the sky.
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MeteoritesMeteorites that pass through the atmosphere and hit Earth's surface.
Section 5 Review
1.a. What is a comet?
A loose collection of ice, dust, and small rocky particles.
b. What are the different parts of a comet?
A comet has two parts: the head and the tail. The head consists of the nucleus and coma. The
nucleus is a solid inner core, while the coma is the fuzzy outer layer of the head which is essentially a
cloud of dust and gas. The tail contains dust and gas that trail the head of the comet as it approaches
the sun.
c. How does a comet’s appearance change as it approaches the sun? Why do these changes occur?
Some gas and dust are released, forming a coma and two tails; because of the energy in sunlight.
2.a. What is an asteroid?
A small, rocky space object.
b. Where are most asteroids found?
In the asteroid belt that lies between Mars and Jupiter.
c. How did the asteroids form?
They are leftover pieces of the early solar system that never came together to form a planet.
3. a. What is a meteoroid?
A chunk of rock or dust in space.
b. What are the main sources of meteoroids?
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Comets or asteroids.
c. What are the differences between meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites?
A meteoroid is a chunk of rock or dust in space.
A meteor is a meteoroid that enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up.
A meteorite is a meteoroid that passes through the atmosphere and hits Earth's surface.