Asteroids and Their Impact on Earth

What did the OSIRIS-REx mission do with the asteroid material from Bennu?

• Returned it to Earth immediately

• Stored it in a return capsule

• Launched it into space

• Destroyed it

What surprised scientists about the fragility of Bennu?

• Its diamond shape

• Its weak gravity

• Its ability to spew out rocks

• Its ancient asteroid material

What causes rocks on the surface of asteroids like Bennu to roll towards the equator?

• Gravity

• Rotation

• Vaporization

• Regolith

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS2-4

What happens to a solid chunk of meteoritic iron when it enters the atmosphere?

• It disintegrates into fragments

• It creates a superheated channel

• It punches straight through

• It explodes like an atomic bomb

What is the term used to describe the release of energy from a weak asteroid in the atmosphere?

• Explosion

• Air burst

• Implosion

• Nuclear reaction

What was the size of the Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded in 2013?

• 20 meters in diameter

• 50 meters in diameter

• 100 meters in diameter

• 200 meters in diameter

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

What would be the result if Bennu hit the Earth?

• Complete destruction of the planet

• Localized devastation

• Formation of a new ocean

• Creation of a massive tsunami

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

What is the chance of Bennu impacting the Earth in 2175?

• 1 in 24,000

• 1 in 11,000

• 1 in 2,700

• 1 in 100

How has the orbit of Bennu been affected by the OSIRIS-REx mission?

• It has remained unchanged

• It has moved closer to the Earth

• It has moved farther from the Earth

• It has become more unpredictable

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS2-4

NGSS.HS-ESS1-4

What method could be used to change the orbit of Bennu if necessary?

• Gravity tractor

• Nuclear explosion

• Laser beam

• Rocket propulsion