1. S6E1.f. Compare and contrast comets, asteroids, and meteors
What are the characteristics of comets, asteroids, and meteors?
How are they alike/different?

2. 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

3. 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.

4. Asteroids Where are asteroids located? Asteroids are located
in the “Asteroid Belt”
between orbits of
Mars & Jupiter
Some asteroids may be
Knocked outside the
Asteroid Belt by colliding with other asteroids.

5. 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.

6. Comets Where do they come from? ORIGIN:
Left over from formation of solar system
Kuiper Belt &
Oort Cloud

7. Size of Comets About the size of a mountain (w/out the tail)
Tails can be ≥ 100 million km

8. Composition of Comets
Ice
Dust
Small rocky particles

9. 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

10. Comet’s tail ALWAYS points away from the Sun

11. Comets A.K.A “Dirty Snowballs”
Comets orbit in long, narrow, elliptical paths around the Sun.
Click link below for animation

12. Meteors Where do meteors come from?
Broken pieces of Comets or Asteroids!

13. 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!

14. Composition of Meteors
What are meteors made of?
Rock & dust

15. 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

16. Other details about meteors
A.K.A. “Shooting Stars”
Meteor Showers happen regularly