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Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids Explained

Comets, asteroids, and meteoroids are objects found in our solar system other than planets and moons. Comets are icy, dirty snowballs that travel in elliptical orbits around the sun and form tails when close to the sun. Asteroids are rocky objects smaller than planets located mainly in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Meteoroids are space rocks that become meteors when burning up in Earth's atmosphere, and meteorites if they reach the ground.

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25 views17 pages

Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids Explained

Comets, asteroids, and meteoroids are objects found in our solar system other than planets and moons. Comets are icy, dirty snowballs that travel in elliptical orbits around the sun and form tails when close to the sun. Asteroids are rocky objects smaller than planets located mainly in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Meteoroids are space rocks that become meteors when burning up in Earth's atmosphere, and meteorites if they reach the ground.

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ezedddiam
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Other than the sun,

planets, and moon, what


other objects are found
in the Solar System?
Lesson Objectives:
1. Compare comets, meteors, and
asteroids which are found
in the Solar System.
2. Describe the characteristics of
comets, asteroids, and meteors.
Comets, Meteors
and Asteroids
Comets

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Comets
• Comets are composed
of dust and rock mixed
with frozen water,
methane, and ammonia
• Comets are considered
to be like a large, dirty
snowball
Comets
Comets travel around
the sun in elliptical
orbits
Comets
•When a comet nears the sun, some
of it melts and forms a long tail (gases
in the comet are vaporized by the
sun)
•When a comet moves farther away
from the sun, the tail disappears
After a comet has passed close to the
Sun many times, it breaks apart. The
small pieces from the comet spread out.

These pieces of dust and rock, along


with those coming from other sources,
are called Meteoroids.
Meteoroid, Meteor,
Meteorite?
The difference is just based on
where the rock is located when
you are describing it.
Meteoroid is a “space rock”
that is still in space

Meteor is a meteoroid
that burns up in the
earth’s atmosphere
(Shooting Star)

Meteorite is a
meteoroid that hits
the earth’s surface
A Meteor is
considered
harmless even
though it can
be viewed from
earth at times.
Asteroids
Asteroid
•A piece of rock similar to the
material formed into planets.
•An Asteroid is smaller than a
planet but larger than a meteoroid
Asteroid
•Most asteroids are located in an area
between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
called the Asteroid Belt.
•Why are they located there?
•The gravity of Jupiter might have kept a
planet from forming in the area

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