Download Meteors and Galaxies

Meteors and Galaxies
Meteoroids, Meteors, Meterorites
 After a comet breaks near the Sun, the pieces of dust
and rock, along with other materials become a
meteoroid
 Sometimes a meteoroid will cross the path of the
Earth and enters the Earth’s atmosphere.
 Most meteoroids will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere
but are called meteors.
 If it reaches Earth’s surface or any planet’s surface it
becomes a meteorite.
Famous Crater from Meteorite
 Site of a meteorite crash in Northern Arizona
Meteor showers
 More meteors than usual seen.
 Occur in predictable periods
Quadrantids
Lyrids
Eta Aquarids
Perseids
Orionids
Leonids
Geminids
Night of January 2
Night of April 21
Night of May 5
Night of August 12
Night of October 21
Night of November 16
Night of December 13
Sets around midnight
Morning crescent
In view most of night
In view most of night
Evening crescent
New Moon
Morning crescent
Galaxies
 A group of stars, gas, dust held together by gravity
 Our galaxy is the Milky Way
 3 types of them
 Spiral
 Elliptical
 Irregular
Spiral Galaxy
 Have arms that spiral and wind outward from the
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center
Arms consist of bright, stars, dust
Milky way is an example.
Can be normal or barred
Normal- the arms start at the center and spiral
outward
Barred- the arms extend outward from a large bar of
stars in the center
Normal
 Normal
Barred Galaxy
Elliptical Galaxy
 Look like a football
 Example is found in Andromeda
Irregular
 Have shapes that do not fit into the other categories
 Example- the Clouds of Magellan