Meteor/oid/ites
T/F?
Approximately 2.5 million meteors occur every day.
False
(25 million!)
T/F?
Asteroids are usually spherical and have craters.
False!
They are cratered, but generally not round.
T/F?
Only a small number of comets enter the inner solar system.
True!
Also called shooting stars or falling stars
Meteor
A comet impact may have brought oxygen and life to Earth.
False!
A comet impact may have brought water and life to Earth.
This is the term for the dark outer surface of a meteorite
Fusion crust
T/F?
The asteroid belt is densely packed with asteroids.
False!
The asteroid belt is mostly empty space.
Comet tails always point away from what?
The Sun
Most of these are found in Antarctica because they are easy to spot on the snow and ice
Meteorites
The material sprayed outward from an impact crater
Ejecta
How are meteor showers named?
After the constellation from which they appear to radiate
Which planet is responsible for the existence of the asteroid belt?
Jupiter
A comet's atmosphere
Coma
What is the name for a small space rock that has not entered Earth's atmosphere?
Meteoroid
This indirect consequence of an impact caused the dinosaurs to die off
Climate change
Where do meteorites come from?
Name 3 places!
Asteroids, Mars, the Moon
What are the 2 types of asteroids made of?
1. solid rock (monoliths)
2. unconsolidated rubble
By deflecting comets at various angles, Jupiter created this spherical region of our Solar System
Oort Cloud
This is also known as a "dirty snowball"
Comet
A worldwide later of this element is evidence of an impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs
Iridium
What causes a meteor shower?
Earth passes through the orbital path of a comet
Where are two places asteroids can be found?
1. asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter
2. within Jupiter's orbital path
3. isolated renegades with unusual orbits
a. The dust tail is pushed outward by ______.
b. The ion tail is pushed outward by ______.
a. photons of sunlight
b. solar wind
Some of these have a moon
Asteroids
How long ago was the impact event that killed off the dinosaurs?
65 million years ago