Warm Up – Page 196

Warm Up – Page 196

What is the difference between comets, asteroids, and meteors?

Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors- Oh My!

Asteroid

• BrainPop

Asteroids

• Definition: objects that are too small and numerous to be considered planets

• Rocky – 75% of all asteroids

• Iron (metals) – 7% of all asteroids

• Mixed (rock and iron blended) – 18% of all asteroids

Asteroid Belt

The region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, where many asteroids are found.

Asteroids…

Asteroids

• Not all asteroids are located in the asteroids belt and can pass near Earth

• Jupiter’s gravity kept the asteroids from forming a planet

• Some asteroids orbit just before and after Jupiter

• Largest asteroid, Ceres, is 580 mi across but most are less than a few miles across

Asteroid Impacts

• Scientists think an asteroid impact near Mexico caused the dinosaur extinction.

http://www.mnh.si.edu/

Asteroid Impact crater in Canada

Comets

• BrainPop

Comets

• Definition: chunks of ice and dust that usually has a long, narrow elliptical orbit

• Comet means long haired star

Comet

• 3 parts:– Nucleus

– Coma

– Tail: always points away from sun

Nucleus and coma make up the head .

Comet

Parts Explained

• Nucleus – hard rock/ice object

• Coma – heated up gas that form a cloud around the nucleus

• Tail – dust particles pushed away from the comet by solar radiation; gets bigger as comet gets closer to the sun

Comet Orbits

• Comets have long, narrow elliptical orbits

• Short period comets are found in the Kuiper Belt

• Long period comets are found in the Oort Cloud

• Sometimes, comets get too close to the sun, and then…

NASA

Famous Comets

Hale- Bopp

More…

More…

Comet Hyakutake

1996

More…

More…

In 1994, Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter.

Meteors

• Video

Meteors

• 3 types:

• Meteor: a streak of light in the sky produced by the burning of a meteoroid in Earth’s atmosphere

• Meteoroid: a chunk of rock or dust in space

• Meteorite: a meteoroid that has hit Earth’s surface

Meteoroids

• Meteoroids are small chunks of rock and dust left over from asteroids and comets that pass by the Earth.

• They are found within the path of the Earth’s orbit around the sun.

• They can be rocky, iron, or mixed.

Meteors

• 3 types:

• Meteor: a streak of light in the sky produced by the burning of a meteoroid in Earth’s atmosphere

• Meteoroid: a chunk of rock or dust in space

• Meteorite: a meteoroid that has hit Earth’s surface

Meteor Impact Crater in Arizona.

Meteors…

More…