Study Notes on Asteroids, Comets, Meteors

Definition: Huge chunks of irregularly shaped rocks primarily located in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Additional Fact: Asteroids are also scattered throughout our solar system.
Size Comparison: They are the largest objects in the solar system aside from planets and moons.

Description: Often referred to as "Dirty Snowballs," comets are composed of dust, rock particles, frozen gases, and ice.
Orbital Characteristics: They orbit the Sun, typically following enormous orbits.
Visibility: Comets can sometimes be visible to the naked eye when they pass through the inner solar system, especially due to the long tails that develop as they are vaporized by the Sun.
- Fact: The tail of a comet does not follow behind; it always points away from the Sun.

Meteoroid: A small piece of rock and dust (for example, disintegrated comets).
Transition to Meteor: A meteoroid becomes a Meteor when it enters the Earth's atmosphere and burns up due to atmospheric friction, creating a bright streak in the sky.
Meteorite: If a meteor survives its passage through the atmosphere and lands on Earth without burning up, it is referred to as a meteorite.

Asteroids:
- Mostly found in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter.
- Generally larger than comets and meteoroids.
Comets:
- Composed of a mixture of dust and ice (dirty snowballs).
- Feature a nucleus, coma, and tail that points away from the Sun.
Meteoroids:
- Smaller than asteroids.
- Composed of pieces of stone or metal traveling in space.
Meteors:
- A meteoroid that falls towards the Earth, heating up due to friction in the atmosphere, resulting in a glowing streak across the sky.
- Often referred to as bolides when they are large and bright.
Meteorites:
- Refer to meteors that hit the Earth's surface and survive the impact, possibly causing an explosion upon hitting the ground.

Illustrations or diagrams may show the following components:
- Earth's Atmosphere
- Earth's Surface
- Differences between Meteoroids, Meteors, and Meteorites in terms of their characteristics and stages of interaction with Earth.

Instruction: Students are to fill out the homework sheet related to this topic while watching a video presentation by Bill Nye titled "Comets & Meteors."