Asteroids, Meteroids and Comets The Solar System Asteroids, Meteroids and Comets
Objectives Explain why comets, asteroids, and meteroids are important to the study of the formation of the solar system Describe the similarities of and differeces between asteroids and meteroids Explain how cosmic impacts may affect life on Earth
Did You Know??? In space, astronauts cannot cry, because there is no gravity, so the tears can't flow. Source - http://www.factscollection.com/Cosmic%20Space-2.html
Comets Comets – A small body of ice and rock loosely packed together Comets are leftovers of when the solar system was forming
Comet Tails As a comets passes close enough to the sun it gets 2 tails, an Ion tail and a Dust tail A comet only has a tail as it gets closer to the sun
Comet Tails
Comet Orbits Comets pass close to the sun in one part of their orbit and far in another part of their orbit
Comet Orbits
Hale-Bopp Comet
Hykutake Comet
Halley’s Comet
Asteroids Asteroids - rocks much smaller than planets that revolve around the Sun Asteroids can be made of different metals or rocks and are not always round
Asteriod Belt Asteroid Belt – The region between Mars and Jupiter where most of the asteroids in the solar system orbit
Asteroids of the Solar System
Asteroids of the Solar System
Kuiper Belt Kuiper Belt – The region beyond Neptune similar to the asteroid belt, made of many small bodies
Eros
Eros (closer)
Gaspra
Ida
Hektor
Meteoroids Meteoroid – A small rocky body that travels through space. (No orbit) Meteorite – A meteoroid that reaches the surface of the Earth without burning up in the Atmosphere Meteor – A meteoroid that burns up in Earth’s atmosphere
Impacts on Earth
Manicouagan Crater – Quebec (Canada)
Barringer Crater – Arizona (U.S.)
Barringer Crater – Arizona (U.S.)
Bosumtwi Crater – Ghana (Africa.)
Goses Bluff Crater – Australia
Chicxulub Crater – Yucatan (Mexico)
Craters from Space
Review The photosphere is the visible part of the sun on the earth The Sun id not burning, it creates energy through nuclear fusion The sun’s nuclear fusion comes from changing hydrogen into helium Sunspots are colder spots on the suns surface Solar Flares are hit spots that shoot out from the sun Earths magnetic field and atmosphere protect it from the sun
Journal What do you believe we could learn about our solar system by studying what asteroids and comets are made of?