Asteroids, Comets and Meteors Worksheet

Name __________________________ Mr. Magnuson

Asteroid Belt Located between ____________________ and  ________________________. 

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Theory of its existence:

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Object size range:

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Consequence of the Asteroid Belt (on Earth):

Comets

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What is a comet?

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What are the parts of a comet?

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How does the tail of a comet develop?

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When are comets visible? visible? And why?

Other Objects in the Solar System Astronomy Unit

Name __________________________ Mr. Magnuson

Other Objects in the Solar System Astronomy Unit

Parts of a Comet _________________________________ : The nucleus is the frozen center of a comet's head. It is composed of ____________, ______________, and ______________. The nucleus contains most of the comet's ________________ but is very small.

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_________________________________ : The coma is the roughly spherical blob of _________________ that surrounds the nucleus of a comet; it is about a million km across. The coma is comprised of _________________, carbon dioxide gas, ammonia, dust, and neutral gases that have _____________________  have _____________________ from from the solid nucleus. The coma and the nucleus form the head of a comet.

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________________________________ : A tail of charged gases (ions) always faces _________________________ from the sun because the _____________________  (ions streaming from the sun at high velocities) pushes it a way (it is also called the  plasma tail). 

When the comet is approaching the Sun,  _____________________________________: when the comet is leaving of the Sun,  __________________________________. The tail _______________________ as the comet moves far from the Sun. The ion tail can be well over 100 million km long. 

________________________________ : The dust tail is a long, wide tail composed of microscopic dust particles. This tail __________________________  slightly due to the comet's motion. The tail fades  _____________________________________________. 

Name __________________________ Mr. Magnuson

Other Objects in the Solar System Astronomy Unit

________________________________ : Hydrogen gas surrounds the coma of the comet and trails along for millions of miles (it is usually between the ion tail and the dust tail). Draw the Comet’s tail as it approaches the sun. 

Obs Observe erve the the cl clip. ip.

What What happ happen ened ed to the com comet’ et’s tai tail? l?

Describe what happens to Halley’s Comet as it ap proaches the sun.

METEOROID What is a meteoroid?  

Where do most meteoroids come from?

METEOR   

What is a meteor? What are meteors sometimes called?

METEORITE 

What is a meteorite?

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What happens to most meteorites?

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Draw the lifecycle of a meteoroid

Why do meteor showers occur?

Name __________________________ Mr. Magnuson

Other Objects in the Solar System Astronomy Unit