1. Welcome to Science 12/13/10
Open your books to page and use these pages to begin completing the outline you just received.
Today’s Schedule
1. Schedule for the week
2. Science Folder/Notes Organized
3. Question of the Day
4. Discussion on Comets, Asteroids, & Meteors

2. Science Folder/Notes
These items should be in your Science Folder and should be studied for Friday’s Test
5 Key Concepts Paper
Big Bang Theory/Solar System Flow Chart
Sun Packet
Planet Packet
Comets, Asteroids, & Meteoroids Packet
Life Beyond Earth Packet
Word Wall List

3. Question of the Day
What is most likely the object that hit Earth in the picture below? A comet, asteroid, meteoroid, meteor, or meteorite?
Most likely it was an asteroid
Why study comets, asteroids, & meteoroids.
Because they threaten the existence of life on Earth
Ultra Science: Hitting Earth :

4. Comets
What is a comet?
Small body of ice, dust, and small rocky particles packed together that orbit the sun. “dirty snowballs”
Where do they come
from?
Cold outer solar system.
Oort Cloud & Kuiper Belt

5. Why are comets important?
Comets are made of the “leftovers” from the process of planet formation.
Each comet is a sample of the early solar system.

6. A Comet’s Tail
When a comet passes close to the sun, the heat from the sun evaporates the water in the comet creating a tail of gas and dust.

7. Comet Orbits
Like the planets, comets also orbit the sun in an ellipse.
A comet’s tail will point away from the sun as it gets closer to the sun.
Interactive Comet Animation

8. Asteroids
Large rocky objects that orbit the sun between Mars & Jupiter (asteroid belt)
Like comets, asteroids are the leftovers from the formation of the solar system.

9. Meteoroids
Meteoroid- small chunk of rock or dust. Could be a piece of a comet or asteroid
Meteor- meteoroid that enters Earth’s atmosphere & creates a streak (shooting star)
Meteorite- meteor that hits Earth’s surface

10. Impact of Asteroids & Meteoroids
The main theory on the extinction of the dinosaurs is that it was caused by an asteroid strike.
Could an asteroid hit again?
Yes
Will it happen again?
When will it happen?
2014 & 2021 Possibly
Ultra Science: Hitting Earth :
Bad Universe: Asteroid Impact Simulation
Watch The Asteroid Threat: