Transcript Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids Oh My!! Terms

Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids Oh My!!
Terms:
Comet
Coma
Nucleus
Tail
Meteor
Meteoroid
Meteorite
Asteroid
S6E1.f
Describe the
characteristics of comets,
asteroids, and meteors
• In the distant parts of our
solar system, comets are dust
covered balls made of ice and
rock
• These dust covered balls of
ice and rock are called a
nucleus
• Something disturbs the
comets and sends them
streaking toward the sun!
• As the nucleus passes the orbit of Jupiter, it
begins to heat up.
• Some of the ice inside the nucleus turns to
glowing gas
• The gasses spread out from the nucleus to form
an atmosphere around the nucleus called a
coma
• Together, the coma and the nucleus form the
head of the comet
• As the comet approaches the
sun, energy from the sun blows
parts of the coma away from the
nucleus…..
<Show Them>
• These parts stream away from
the head of the comet to form a
shimmering tail
• A comets tail ALWAYS points
away from the sun
Nucleus
Tail
Coma
Head
• Some comets plunge into the sun, and others orbit
around the sun one or more times
• The most famous returning comet is Halley’s Comet,
which comes back approximately every 76 years
• Can you see where the nucleus, coma, and tail are?
• Judging from this picture, where is the sun?
Asteroids
Asteroids are chunks
of rock and metal,
much smaller than
Earth’s moon
• Asteroids orbit the sun
like planets
• Most asteroids are
found in a belt
between the orbit of
Mars and Jupiter
• The largest known
asteroid is Ceres (940
km in diameter)
• Most asteroids are less
than 1 km in diameter
Meteoroids, Meteors, and Meteorites
• Between 1,000 and 10,000 tons of space
rock fall to Earth each day…… when it is
in space these rocks are called
meteoroids
• Meteoroids are made of
rocky materials, and metal
• When a meteoroid plunges into Earth’s
atmosphere it is known as a meteor
• In Earth’s atmosphere, the meteor can get
so hot that some or all of it burns up.
• The burning meteor
appears as a
streak of light ……
A Shooting Star
• If a meteor does not completely burn up in
our atmosphere, it will hit Earth’s surface.
• When a meteoroid hits Earth’s surface it is
known as a meteorite
Worlds largest meteorite Hoba, found in Namibia
Draw the sequence that a meteoroid goes
through……….
Quick Check
In which direction does a comets tail always
face?
a.
b.
c.
d.
In the direction of the sun
Away from the sun
Perpendicular to the sun
All different directions
Quick Check
What is a comets coma?
a.
b.
c.
d.
The stony and icy center of the head
A chunk of iron
A stream of gas at its back
The atmosphere around its nucleus
Quick Check
Where are most asteroids found?
a.
b.
c.
d.
All over our solar system
In orbit between Mars and Jupiter
Near Earth
Outside of the solar system
Quick Check
What is the sequence that describes a
space rock that falls to Earth’s surface?
a.
b.
c.
d.
meteoroid, meteor, meteorite
Meteor, meteoroid, meteorite
Meteorite, meteor, meteoroid
Meteor, meteorite, meteoroid