Astronomy Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids Unit Test

comet makeup

rock, dust, ice

ancient comet beliefs

various myths and interpretations regarding comets, often seen as omens or messages from the gods.

asteroid orbit

elliptical

most asteroids located

asteroid belt

asteroid risk to Earth

the potential threat posed by asteroids that could collide with Earth, potentially causing significant damage.

difference between meteor, meteorite, meteoroid

meteor in atmosphere, meteorite on the ground, meteoroid in space

three main types of meteorites

stony, iron, stony-iron

three sub types of meteorites

ordinary chondrites, achondrites, carbonaceous chondrites

three factors that determine if a meteor will hit Earth

mass, velocity, angle of entry

fireball

a bright meteor that explodes in the atmosphere, causes rumbling and has a tail of glowing gas

meteor shower

when Earth passes through a comet/astroid’’s dust tail/fragments

two theories for how the dinosaurs died

astroid in Yucatan peninsula or volcano eruption in india

comets come from

the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud.

seven signs of an impact crater

leftover bits from the asteroid, no lava flow, crater, central peak, overturned layers, ejecta blanket, shock quartz

how are asteroids, Comets, and Meteors interconnected

Asteroids, comets, and meteors are all remnants from the early solar system, composed of various types of rock and ice. They share similar origins, with asteroids primarily found in the asteroid belt and comets originating from the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud.

NEA stands for

near earth astroid

neo stands for

near earth object

eca stands for

earth crossing astroid

parts of a comet

nuceleus, coma, ion tail, dust tail, hydrogen envelope/cloud

who names Asteroids and comets

whoever discovers it and identifies its orbit

aten asteroid

crosses earth’s orbit with an orbital period of less than one year.

apollo asteroid

crosses earth’s orbit with an orbital period of more than one year

amor asteroid

orbits the Sun between Earth and Mars, never crossing Earth's orbit.

c type asteroid

carbon, doesn’t reflect light

m type asteroid

metallic, reflects light, made of iron and nickel

s type asteroid

silicate, reflects light, made of stone and minerals

theories for how the asteroid belt formed

failed planet that couldn’t form due to Juptier’s gravitational pull or a celestial body that was hit by something and broken apart

what do Meteors tell us about the solar system

Meteors provide insight into the composition of the early solar system, revealing information about the materials that formed planets and other celestial bodies.