Science - Quiz 32 (asteroids; comets)

Question 1

rocky or metallic object that gets too close to the atmosphere and lands on the earth’s surface

Answer 1

meteorite

Question 2

the ring containing objects that resemble comet nuclei and orbit farther from the sun than Neptune does

Answer 2

Kuiper belt

Question 3

this astronomer correctly calculated the return of a comet seen in 1862

Answer 3

(Edmond) Halley

Question 4

group of asteroids located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter

Answer 4

asteroid belt

Question 5

the gas and dust that forms a cloud around the nucleus of a comet

Answer 5

coma

Question 6

the phenomenon seen when the earth passes through a comet’s trail of small space rocks

Answer 6

meteor shower

Question 7

these components of a comet tail separate because they react differently with the solar wind

Answer 7

dust and gas

Question 8

a small chunk of rock or metal that is traveling through Earth’s atmosphere and glowing due to adiabatic heating

Answer 8

meteor

Question 9

why a comet’s tail grows smaller as the comet travels away from the sun

Answer 9

weaker solar wind

Question 10

a comet with a very short period

Answer 10

Encke’s comet