Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids

What are meteors?

• Small particles from space that create streaks of light as they burn up in the Earth's atmosphere.

• Large rocks that orbit the Earth and occasionally fall to the ground.

• Artificial satellites that provide communication services.

• Clouds of gas that form in the Earth's atmosphere.

What is an asteroid?

• A small rocky body that orbits the Sun, primarily found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

• A large gaseous planet located beyond Neptune.

• A comet that travels close to the Sun and develops a tail.

• A satellite that orbits Earth.

What is the difference between a comet's coma and its tail?

• The coma is the stream of gas and dust pushed away from the comet, while the tail is the nebulous envelope around the nucleus.

• The coma is the nebulous envelope around the nucleus of a comet, while the tail is the stream of gas and dust that is pushed away from the comet by solar wind.

• The coma is the solid core of the comet, while the tail is the part that contains ice and gas.

• The coma is the region where the comet's nucleus is formed, while the tail is the area where comets collide with asteroids.

What is a meteoroid?

• A large celestial body that orbits the sun

• A small rock or particle from space, smaller than an asteroid

• A type of star that has exploded

• A planet that is not yet formed

What happens to a meteoroid when it enters the Earth's atmosphere?

• It disintegrates completely without a trace.

• It heats up due to friction and produces a bright streak of light known as a meteor.

• It slows down and falls gently to the ground.

• It transforms into a comet and orbits the Earth.

What is the origin of most meteoroids?

• They originate from the Moon's surface.

• Most meteoroids originate from comets or asteroids.

• They are formed from the Earth's atmosphere.

• They come from the Sun's solar wind.

What is a plutoid?

• A type of star located in the Milky Way

• A type of dwarf planet located beyond the orbit of Neptune

• A large asteroid in the asteroid belt

• A planet that orbits between Mars and Jupiter

How do comets develop their tails?

• They develop tails due to collisions with asteroids.

• They develop tails when they approach the Sun, causing the heat to vaporize their ices and release gas and dust.

• They develop tails from the gravitational pull of nearby planets.

• They develop tails as a result of solar wind pushing against their surfaces.

What is the significance of the asteroid belt?

• It contains a large number of asteroids and serves as a boundary between the inner rocky planets and the outer gas giants.

• It is the largest planet in the solar system.

• It is a region where comets are formed.

• It is the only place where life has been discovered in the solar system.

What is the main difference between comets and asteroids?

• Comets are composed mainly of ice and dust, while asteroids are primarily made of rock and metal.

• Comets are larger than asteroids and have a solid core.

• Asteroids are found only in the outer solar system, while comets are found in the inner solar system.

• Comets have a tail, while asteroids do not have any visible features.