Near earth objects (neos): Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids Characteristics, Composition, & location S6E1 e. Ask questions to compare and contrast the characteristics, composition, and location of comets, asteroids, and meteoroids.

Characteristics - comets Sometimes called “dirty snowballs” When close to the sun, ice vaporizes, producing a spectacular streak of gas, referred to as a “tail” The tail is visible for several nights and stays in the same place relative to the background stars at night Many travel in a slow, highly elliptical orbit around the sun

Bodies in space made up of ice, dust, rock, and frozen gases Composition - comets Bodies in space made up of ice, dust, rock, and frozen gases

Location/origin - comets Oort Cloud (just past the outside edge of the solar system) - Long period comets Kuiper belt – (just past Neptune) – short period comets

Asteroids

Characteristics - asteroids Small, irregular shaped object that orbits the sun Believed to be left-over pieces of planets and moons

Asteroids visited by spacecraft. Some can reach to over 250 km across Asteroids, “space rocks” that are too small and too numerous to be considered full-fledged planets. Asteroids visited by spacecraft. Some can reach to over 250 km across

Composition - asteroids Huge chunks of rock and metal (iron and nickel)

Location/origin - asteroids Between mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt

Meteorite, Meteoroid, Meteor? What’s the difference?

Characteristics - Meteoroids Sand grain to boulder-sized A meteoroid is a chunk of rock or dust in space. Meteoroids usually come from comets or asteroids.

Characteristics - Meteors A METEOR IS A STREAK OF LIGHT THAT LASTS FOR A FEW SECONDS WHEN A METEROID BURNS UP IN THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE A METEOR IS ALSO KNOWN AS “SHOOTING STARS”

Characteristics - MeteORITES A METEORITE IS A METEROID THAT HAS PASSED THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE AND HITS EARTH’S SURFACE Meteor Crater Video

Composition – Meteoroids, Meteors, Meteorites Small, rocky

Composition – Meteoroids, Meteors, Meteorites 3 TYPES: STONY IRON STONY-IRON (P. 99 IN YOUR WORKTEXT)

Location/origin- Meteoroids SPACE

Location/origin- Meteors A METEROID THAT HAS ENTERED THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE

Thin Streaks

Location/origin - Meteorites A METEOROID THAT HAS HIT THE EARTH’S SURFACE

Review Q: What is the difference between a meteoroid, meteororite, and a meteor? Meteoroid = while in space a meteorite is called a meteoroid Meteorite = a small rock or rocky grain that strikes Earth’s surface Meteor = “Shooting Star”

Review Q: What is the difference between an asteroid and a meteoroid? The main difference is the size of the object. Q: Which is larger, asteroid or meteoroid? Asteroids are larger than meteoroids.

Review Bright streaks of light that result when rocky bodies burn up in the atmosphere are called ___________. Frozen bodies made of ice, rock, and dust, sometimes called “dirty snowballs” are called _____________. Small, rocky bodies that revolve around the sun are called ______________.

Review Bright streaks of light that result when rocky bodies burn up in the atmosphere are called meteors. Frozen bodies made of ice, rock, and dust, sometimes called “dirty snowballs” are called comets. Small, rocky bodies that revolve around the sun are called asteroids.