Asteroid Alert! Vocabulary

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 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 an object in space with an orbit that will bring it close to Earth?

Back

Near-Earth object (NEO)

Front

What is the term for a solid fragment of a meteoroid that survives its passage through the atmosphere and lands on Earth?

Back

Meteorite

Front

What is the difference between a meteoroid and a meteor?

Back

A meteoroid is a small rock or particle in space, while a meteor is the streak of light produced when a meteoroid burns up in the Earth's atmosphere.

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 term for the path an object takes as it moves around another object in space?

Back

Orbit

Front

What is the name of the region of space where most asteroids are found, located between Mars and Jupiter?

Back

Asteroid Belt