What are the characteristics of comets, asteroids, and meteors?How are they alike/different?

Astronomical Units (AU) and Light-Years (ly)

(AU) and (ly) are both measurements of distance, generally used to show large amounts of distance between points.

Light-years are better suited for calculating the vast distances between stars and galaxies, while

AUs are better suited for calculating distance inside the (relatively) smaller space of a solar system

What are asteroids made of(composition)? Where did they come from?

Asteroids are made of rocks and metals.

Asteroids are left over from the formation of the solar system.

Asteroids• Where are asteroids

located?

Asteroids are located in the “Asteroid Belt” between orbits of Mars & Jupiter

Some asteroids may beKnocked outside the Asteroid Belt by colliding with

other asteroids.

Asteroids caused the extinction of dinosaurs

Scientists believe asteroids may have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Scientists conclude, dense clouds of dust blocked the sun's rays, darkening and chilling Earth to deadly levels for most plants and, in turn, many animals.

Comets Where do

they come from?

ORIGIN:

Left over from formation of solar system

Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud

Size of Comets

• About the size of a mountain (w/out the tail)

• Tails can be ≥ 100 million km

Composition of Comets

• Ice

• Dust

• Small rocky particles

Parts/Vocabulary for Comets:

• Coma – cloud of dust & gas

• Nucleus – solid inner core

• Tail – gas & dust can been seen as the sun heats the comet & blows it away from the sun

Comet’s tail ALWAYS points away from the Sun

Comets A.K.A “Dirty Snowballs”Comets orbit in long, narrow, elliptical paths around the Sun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwMXms7OsSQClick link below for animation

Meteors

• Where do meteors come from?

• Broken pieces of Comets or Asteroids!

Size of meteors

• Smaller than comets or asteroids

(since they come from broken pieces of these!)

The Perseid Meteor Shower (happens every August) which has been observed for 2000 years!

Composition of Meteors

• What are meteors made of?

• Rock & dust

Parts/Vocabulary for Meteors• Meteoroid – CHUNK of ROCK/DUST in SPACE

• Meteor – STREAK of LIGHT made by meteoroid, burn up as they enter Earth’s atmosphere. We them as shooting stars!

• Meteorite – a meteoroid that HITS Earth

Other details about meteors• A.K.A. “Shooting Stars”

• Meteor Showers happen regularly