Asteroids, Meteors, and Comets Created by Kesler Science – More 5E lessons at KeslerScience.com Presented by Kesler Science
Essential Questions: What are physical properties of asteroids, meteors, and comets? Where are they located? How do they move about in our solar system?
Quick Action – INB Template Asteroids/Meteors/Comets Cut out the template. Glue it to your journal along the skinny tab. Leave room for another template on the same page in your journal. © KeslerScience.com
Quick Action – INB Template Meteors/Meteorites/Meteoroids Cut out the template. Glue it to your journal along the skinny tab. Use the same INB page as your other template. © KeslerScience.com
Interactive Notebook Examples © KeslerScience.com
Asteroids Asteroids, Meteors and Comets A rocky mass that orbits the sun Range in size from nearly 600 miles across to dust particles Most are found in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter A few pass close to the Earth or enter the atmosphere as meteors. © KeslerScience.com
Asteroids Asteroids, Meteors and Comets There are millions of asteroids in the solar system but most have not been identified. They may be the remains of the formation of the solar system. The largest asteroid on record is Ceres, which is large enough to be considered a dwarf planet. © KeslerScience.com
Asteroids, Meteors and Comets Meteoroid A general term for a small particle from a comet or asteroid orbiting the Sun. © KeslerScience.com
Meteor Asteroids, Meteors and Comets A meteor is a meteoroid that burns and vaporizes upon entry into the Earth's atmosphere, commonly called a shooting star. The light emitted is created by friction between the meteoroid and the atmosphere. © KeslerScience.com
Asteroids, Meteors and Comets Meteorite A meteoroid that survives its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and lands on the Earth's surface © KeslerScience.com
Crater Asteroids, Meteors and Comets A bowl-shaped depression with a raised rim, formed by the impact of a meteoroid. © KeslerScience.com
Comets Asteroids, Meteors and Comets A celestial object made of ice and dust that orbits the Sun. Because they can rarely be seen with the naked eye and many have large orbits, you will be lucky to see one in your lifetime. © KeslerScience.com
Comets Asteroids, Meteors and Comets Oort Cloud Longer period comets originate here in a region of the solar system far beyond the orbit of the dwarf planet, Pluto. Here, billions of comets move in nearly circular orbits around the Sun rather than in the elliptical plane of our planets. © KeslerScience.com
Comets Asteroids, Meteors and Comets Kuiper Belt Another belt in the Solar System (besides the Asteroid Belt) that lies out past the orbit of Pluto. Shorter period comets originate here This belt has millions of icy comets which circle the Sun in the same plane as our planets. © KeslerScience.com
Comets Asteroids, Meteors and Comets Has three components: Nucleus – (called a dirty snowball) frozen ice, gas and dust Coma - water vapor and other gases Tail - made of gas (ions) and dust © KeslerScience.com
Comets Asteroids, Meteors and Comets Every once in a while, comets are disturbed by a passing star or collision with other comets and some fall in toward the solar system. Because their orbits are so large some comets will only pass near the Sun once. When a comet nears the sun, the “tail” always points away from the sun due to the solar winds. © KeslerScience.com
Check for Understanding Can you… Describe the physical properties of asteroids, meteors, and comets? Describe the location of asteroids, meteors, and comets? Describe how asteroids, meteors, and comets move around the solar system? Clear up any confusion and answer questions. KeslerScience.com