Asteroid Alert! Vocabulary

Front

What is a small piece of rock or ice that has broken off an asteroid or comet?

Back

Meteoroid

Front

What is a large, bowl-shaped hole in the ground usually caused by explosions or impacts?

Back

Crater

Front

What is a meteor that has passed through the Earth's atmosphere and hit the ground called?

Back

Meteorite

Front

What is space debris that heats up as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere and appears as a streak of light?

Back

Meteor

Front

What is the curved path a planet or object takes as it travels through space?

Back

Orbit

Front

What is the term for a celestial object made of ice and dust that develops a tail when it approaches the sun?

Back

Comet

Front

What is the difference between a meteoroid and a meteorite?

Back

A meteoroid is a small rock or particle from space, while a meteorite is a meteoroid that has landed on Earth.

Front

What is the term for the process of a meteoroid entering the Earth's atmosphere and producing a bright streak of light?

Back

Meteor shower

Front

What is the name of the region of space where most asteroids are found?

Back

Asteroid belt

Front

What is the term for the gravitational pull that keeps planets in orbit around the sun?

Back

Gravity