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Objective – I can describe the characteristics of comets, asteroids, and meteors.
Name ____________________________________________________________________________________
_____ 2. identify properties and characteristics of asteroids.
_____ 3. identify properties and characteristics of meteors and meteorites.
_____ 4. define and use unit vocabulary correctly.
1. I can identify properties and characteristics of comets.
A comet is made of _______________, _______________, _______________,
A comet has been described as a ______________________________ or an
______________________________.
It is made up of three major parts.
___________________ (the “dirty snowball, “icy dirtball,” or the actual
comet).
___________________ (vaporizing gas, ice, and dirt that surrounds the
nucleus).
Turn in this page only.
_______________, _______________, & _______________.
________________________________________________
Parent signature
_____ 1. identify properties and characteristics of comets.
January 25th.
I can…
Student Name _______________________________ has completed
this study guide for the seasons unit. (Signed guide due Wednesday,
Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids Study Guide
___________________ (the gases, ices, and dirt being pushed away from the comet).
Identify the parts of a comet.
The comet’s tail ___________________ points away from the ___________________.
It is blown in away from the Sun by the _______________________________ (particles blown out from the Sun
into space).
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Objective – I can describe the characteristics of comets, asteroids, and meteors.
Comets come from two different locations. The first is the ___________________. It is found 6,000,000,000,000
miles (one light year) from the Sun.
_______________________________ comets (comets that return every __________ years or longer) come from
the Oort Cloud.
Comets also come from the _______________________________. The Kuiper Belt begins just beyond the orbit
of ___________________ to at least 6,000,000,000 miles from the Sun.
_______________________________ (comets that return every __________ years of less) come from the Kuiper
Belt.
II. I can identify properties and characteristics of asteroids.
___________________ are material left over from the formation of the _______________________________
and never formed into a ___________________. Asteroids are found between the orbits of _________________.
and ___________________.
Jupiter’s ___________________ is so strong, when a planet began to form in the ________________________, it
eventually pulled it apart. If all the ___________________ were put together, it would make a world about half the
size of the ___________________.
We don’t know how many asteroids are out there, but Universe Today estimates there are _____________________.
For an object to be an asteroid, it must…

________________________________________________________________________.
 ___________________________________________________________________.
 ___________________________________________________________________.
 ___________________________________________________________________.
All ___________________ are rocky bodies. Their diameters range from about __________ miles to about
__________ meters.
Vesta is the largest asteroid. It’s about __________ miles in diameter.
III. I can identify properties and characteristics of meteors and meteorites.
___________________ and ___________________ are names for one object.
These are rocky ___________________ and range in size from particles of dirt to over __________ feet across.
A ___________________ is a rocky body the has entered into the Earth’s atmosphere. It makes a quick streak in
the sky, lasting for __________ or __________ seconds.
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Objective – I can describe the characteristics of comets, asteroids, and meteors.
If the ___________________ is large enough, it will survive its trip through the atmosphere. When it hits the
ground, it is called a ___________________.
If the ___________________ is large enough, it can make a ___________________.
IV. I can define and use unit vocabulary correctly.
Using the clues, complete the puzzle.
Across
3. Meteor that falls to the surface before burning up in the atmosphere.
7. Force The measurement of the pull of gravity.
8. The attraction of one mass to another.
9. Objects made up of ices, dust, and gases that orbit the sun in a large, elliptical orbit.
Down
1. A celestial object, larger than asteroids or comets that revolve around a star without giving off its own light.
2. Irregular large pieces of rock that move through space.
4. The streak of light produced by a small piece of matter in space that is visible when it falls into Earth’s
atmosphere.
5. The star in our Solar System that sustains most life on Earth and is the primary source of heat and light.
6. System The system made up of the eight unique planets, and many smaller objects that orbit the sun.
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