Asteroids

NEAR EARTH OBJECTS

(NEOS): COMETS, METEORS,

AND ASTEROIDSCHARACTERISTICS, COMPOSITION, & LOCATION

S6E1 E. ASK QUESTIONS TO COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE CHARACTERISTICS,

COMPOSITION, AND LOCATION OF COMETS, ASTEROIDS, AND METEOROIDS.

CHARACTERISTICS - ASTEROIDS

• SMALL, IRREGULAR SHAPED OBJECT THAT ORBITS THE

SUN

• BELIEVED TO BE LEFT-OVER PIECES OF PLANETS AND

MOONS

Asteroids, are “space rocks” that are too small and too

numerous to be considered full-fledged planets.

Asteroids visited by spacecraft. Some can reach to over 250 km across

COMPOSITION - ASTEROIDS

• HUGE CHUNKS OF ROCK AND METAL

(IRON AND NICKEL)

LOCATION/ORIGIN - ASTEROIDS

• BETWEEN MARS

AND JUPITER IN THE

ASTEROID BELT

CHARACTERISTICS - COMETS

• SOMETIMES CALLED “DIRTY SNOWBALLS”

• WHEN CLOSE TO THE SUN, ICE VAPORIZES, PRODUCING A

SPECTACULAR STREAK OF GAS, REFERRED TO AS A “TAIL”

• THE TAIL IS VISIBLE FOR SEVERAL NIGHTS AND STAYS IN THE

SAME PLACE RELATIVE TO THE BACKGROUND STARS AT NIGHT

• MANY TRAVEL IN A HIGHLY ELLIPTICAL ORBIT AROUND THE

SUN

COMPOSITION - COMETS

• BODIES IN SPACE MADE UP OF ICE, DUST,

ROCK, AND FROZEN GASES

LOCATION/ORIGIN - COMETS

• OORT CLOUD (JUST PAST

THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE

SOLAR SYSTEM) - LONG

PERIOD COMETS

• KUIPER BELT – (JUST PAST

NEPTUNE) – SHORT

PERIOD COMETS

METEORITE, METEOROID, METEOR?

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

CHARACTERISTICS - METEROIDS

• SAND GRAIN TO BOULDER-SIZED

• A METEOROID IS A CHUNK

OF ROCK OR DUST IN SPACE. METEOROIDS USUALLY COMEFROM COMETS ORASTEROIDS.

COMPOSITION – METEROIDS

•SMALL, ROCKY

LOCATION/ORIGIN- METEROIDS

CHARACTERISTICS - METEORS

• METEOR IS A STREAK OF LIGHT THAT LASTS FOR A FEW SECONDS WHEN A METEROID BURNS UP IN THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE

• “SHOOTING STAR”

So, a Meteor is a streak of light in the sky

produced by the burning of a meteoroid in

Earth's atmosphere.

LOCATION/ORIGIN- METEORITE

CHARACTERISTICS - METEORITES

• A METEORITE THAT

HAS PASSED

THROUGH THE

ATMOSPHERE AND

HITS EARTH’S

SURFACE

COMPOSITION - METEORITES

3 TYPES:

• STONY

• IRON

• STONY-IRON

(P. 99 IN YOUR WORKTEXT)

Review

• Q: What is the difference between a

meteoroid, meteor, and a meteorite?

• Meteoroid = in space, smaller than an

asteroid

• Meteor = enters Earth’s atmosphere;

“Shooting Star”

• Meteorite = a small rock or rocky grain that

strikes Earth’s surface

Review

• Q: What is the difference between an asteroid and a

meteoroid?

• The main difference is the size of the object.

• Q: Which is larger, asteroid or meteoroid?

• Asteroids are larger than meteoroids.

Review

• Bright streaks of light that result when rocky bodies burn

up in the atmosphere are called ___________.

• Frozen bodies made of ice, rock, and dust, sometimes

called “dirty snowballs” are called _____________.

• Small, rocky bodies that revolve around the sun are called

______________.

Review

• Bright streaks of light that result when rocky bodies burn

up in the atmosphere are called

meteors.

• Frozen bodies made of ice, rock, and dust, sometimes

called “dirty snowballs” are called

comets.

• Small, rocky bodies that revolve around the sun are called

asteroids.