 thousands of small rocks that revolve around the sun.  most likely debris left over from the formation of the solar system.

 Could also be broken comets.  Thousands of asteroids are concentrated in orbit between Mars and Jupiter. This is known as the asteroid belt.  Some asteroids have orbits that cross Earth’s orbit!

 Asteroids- BrainPop Asteroids- BrainPop

 found beyond Pluto  made of ices (ammonia, methane, and water)  have elongated orbits that sometimes come close to the sun.

 The Sun’s radiation vaporizes the ice, releasing gases that are blown away from the Sun by solar winds, forming the tail of the comet.

 The tails length can be as long as the distance between the Earth and the Sun!  The tail always points away from the Sun.

 Ex. Haley’s Comet.  Last seen in 1986, and will reappear in 76 years (2062).

 Comets- BrainPop Comets- BrainPop

 Fragments of rock and ice  Meteors are “shooting stars” – meteoroids that pass through Earth’s atmosphere and cause streaks of light from friction.

 Normally these are the size of grains of sand or pebbles.  If the meteor reaches the ground, it is then a meteorite.

 Meteor shower occur when there are many particles in a short amount of time. These usually follow a comets’ path.

 Meteor Hits Russia Meteor Hits Russia  Meteorite Pulled from Russia Lake Meteorite Pulled from Russia Lake  Most Massive Meteorites Most Massive Meteorites