Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids

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What is the asteroid belt?

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A region in space located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, containing numerous small rocky bodies called asteroids.

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What are comets?

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Celestial objects made of ice, dust, and rocky material that develop a glowing coma and tail when they approach the sun.

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What is the Oort Cloud?

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A spherical region of comets that surrounds the solar system, extending more than 1000 times the distance between Pluto and the sun.

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What is the Kuiper Belt?

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A doughnut-shaped region of icy bodies, including comets, that extends from beyond Neptune's orbit to about 100 times Earth's distance from the sun.

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What happens to a comet as it approaches the sun?

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The gas and dust heat up, causing the comet to form a fuzzy coma and stream outward, creating tails.

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What are meteors?

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Small particles from comets or asteroids that burn up upon entering Earth's atmosphere, creating a bright streak of light.

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What is the difference between asteroids and comets?

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Asteroids are rocky bodies found mainly in the asteroid belt, while comets are icy bodies that develop tails when near the sun.

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What is a meteor shower?

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An event where numerous meteors are observed to radiate from a specific point in the night sky, often caused by Earth passing through a comet's debris.

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What are the main components of a comet?

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A nucleus (solid core), a coma (cloud of gas and dust), and tails (formed by solar wind and radiation pressure).

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What is the significance of the asteroid belt?

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It contains remnants from the early solar system and helps scientists understand the formation and evolution of planets.