Comets, Asteroids and Meteors

Asteroids Large Rocks in space (smaller than Planets) that orbit the Sun Most are located between Mars and Jupiter “Asteroid Belt” Probably a Planet that never formed Because of Jupiter’s gravity

Ceres The largest Asteroid In the Asteroid Belt

Meteoroids Smaller “Rocky” objects in Space Come from Asteroids Meteors Small rocks or particles that burn in the earth’s atmosphere. “shooting star” “falling star”

Meteor Shower Large number of meteors (usually when passing through the tail, or trail of a comet)

Meteorites The rocks that hit the Earth Types: Stony, iron, Stony Iron

Comets The “Dirty Snowballs” of the Solar System About the size of a Mountain Made of Ice, rock and dust (Has nucleus, coma, tail) Some orbit past Pluto Birth Place: past Pluto – “Oort Cloud” Grows a tail when it is near the Sun Tail always points away from the Sun.

Most Famous Comet Halley – Orbits the Sun once every 76 years. Will return in 2061