Other Objects in the Solar System Flashcards
meaning of the name “asteroid”?
comes from the Greek word meaning starlike
where are asteroids found?
in between Mars and Jupiter and in the asteroid belt
how are asteroids formed?
fragments from large large collisions and dust particles that formed together
shape and composition of asteroids
rocky, metallic objects
definition of a meteor
smaller chunks of solid matter that burn up in our atmosphere due to friction
meaning of the name meteor
thing high up in the sky
alternate name for a meteor
shooting stars
origins of meteor
most meteors are pieces of other large bodies such as moons, comets, asteroids and planets that broke away
three most common meteor showers
perseids, geminds, leonids
meteorite definition
a larger meteor that actually reaches Earth’s surface
meteorite example
allende meteorite
crater example
barringer crater
definition of comet
chunks of frozen matter that orbit the Sun in a very long elliptical path
what type of path does a comet have
elliptical path
tail formation of a comet
when in approaches the Sun, the comet is warmed and this causes the frozen material to become a gas
the solar wind and radiation pressure cause the formation of the tail
which direction does the tail of a comet point?
away from the Sun
why is Halley’s comet named after Edmund Halley?
he was the first to predict when it would appear
orbital period of Halley’s comet
76 years
last visit of Halley’s comet
1986
next visit of Halley’s comet
2061
meteors are quite common. why do you think that few meteorites have been found?
many meteors burn up in the atmosphere, and don’t actually hit the Earth.
why does a comet’s tail always point away from the Sun?
solar winds push the gases from the comet away from the Sun
astronomers believe huge comets may orbit the Sun, but there is no record of anyone ever seeing them. why?
long orbital periods
not close enough to to Earth or Sun
