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Meteoroids
Meteors
Meteorites
Comets
Asteroids.
Meteoroids
A meteoroid is a small rocky
or metallic object traveling
through space
Can be as small as sand or as large as 3 feet.
Micrometeoroids
A micrometeoroid is a tiny meteoroid that
weighs less than 1 gram (small paper clip).
– Are also known as Space dust which can be
found blocking the light of galaxies & Nebulae
Asteroids
Large space rocks.
larger than 3 feet:
to 600 miles across:
The Tunguska Event
• Historical Footage with Notes
Tunguska Explosion
• Narrated Explanation
Russia again! 2013
Question:
What is the Difference between
Meteoroids, Meteors &
Meteorites?
Answer:
Meteoroids, Meteors & Meteorites are the
same object.
They have different names depending on
their position.
Meteoroids, Meteors, and
Meteorites
A meteoroid is a space rock.
A meteor is a space rock in the Atmosphere.
A meteorite is a space rock that hit the Earth.
Meteors
When a space rock enters
Earth’s Atmosphere, the
friction as it falls through
air produces heat and
light.
The light being created is
called a meteor. The rock
itself is still called a
meteoroid.
Meteorite
A Meteorite is the rock that remains after
hitting the Earth.
There are three Main types:
Stony Iron
(Most rare)
Iron
(Rare)
Stony
(Common)
Question:
What is a Shooting Star?
Answer:
A Shooting star is a Meteor
Video: What is a Shooting Star?
Meteor Showers
Meteor Showers
are events where
many meteors can
be seen in the sky.
Can produce
between a few
meteors per hour
to 1,000 meteors
per hour.
Perseid Meteor Shower Seen
from Snowy Range in Wyoming
Lyrids: Meteor Shower
Can be seen between April 16 – 26 each year.
Usually peaks around April 22nd.
Generates between 5 – 20 meteors per hour
So named
because they can
be seen in the
constellation
Lyra.
Perseids: Meteor Shower
Can be seen from mid July to late August.
Usually peaks around August 9th to 14th.
Generates between 80 – 200 meteors per hour
So named because they
appear to originate in the
constellation Perseus.
However they can be seen
anywhere in the sky.
Video: Perseids Meteor
Shower
Orionids: Meteor Shower
Can be seen through October 16 – 27
And peak on October 21st.
Generates between 20 - 70 meteors per hour
So named
because they
appear to
originate in the
constellation
Orion.
However they
can be seen
anywhere in
the sky.
Leonids: Meteor Shower
Can be seen from November 15th – 20th.
Usually peaks around November 18th.
Generates between 80 – 200 meteors per hour
So named because
they appear to
originate in the
constellation Leo.
However they can be
seen anywhere in the
sky.
Geminids: Meteor Shower
Can be seen between December 7th – 17th
And peak on December 14th.
Generates between 75 – 200 meteors per hour
So named
because they
appear to
originate in the
constellation
Gemini.
However they
can be seen
anywhere in
the sky.
Fireballs
A fireball meteor is any
meteor that shines
brighter than the
brightest planet: Venus.
Videos:
Fireball over Concert
Fireball over Texas
Bolides / Detonating Fireballs
A Bolide is a very bright fireball that explodes
in the atmosphere, which is why its also
called a detonating fireball.
Videos:
The Tunguska Event
Super-Bolide:
2013 Russian Meteor
Comets
A Comet is a rock in space
that is very icy and forms a
coma and a tail.
Some comets originate from the Kuiper belt.
The Oort Cloud
Most comets
come from the
Oort Cloud, a
region of space
far beyond the
Kuiper belt,
which has
billions of
comets.
Comets: Coma’s and Tails
A coma is the atmosphere of a comet & the
tail is a formation of dust & gas behind it.
tail
Coma
Comets Tail Formation
A tail forms due to the heat of the Sun
evaporating frozen gases and releasing dust.
The tail always points away from the Sun
because the Sun’s cosmic wind pushes it away.
Comet Tail Formation:
The tail of a comet can only be seen when it
gets close enough to the Sun for it to be heated
up.
Video: What are Comets?