Science 5Science 5

Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors

CometsComets

“dirty snowball” About the size of an Earth mountain Chunks of ice, dust Orbits are long, narrow ellipses

CometsComets

Inner layer called the nucleus Outer layer called coma The coma and nucleus make up the

brightest part, the head Solar winds push gases from a comet away

from the sun creating the tail

Asteroids

Too small and too many to be called planets Most revolve around sun between the orbits

of Mars and Jupiter – the asteroid belt Some come near the orbit of earth

MeteorsMeteors

Meteoroid - A chunk of rock or dust in space– Usually come from comets or asteroids

When a meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere, friction makes it burn up and produce the streak of light you see in the sky – a meteor

MeteorsMeteors

If the meteoroid is too large and does not burn up it may pass through Earth’s atmosphere – meteorites

Craters are caused by meteoroids

Review Review

11. What is gravity? 2. How does your weight on Earth

compare with your weight on the moon? WHY?

3. Inertia is ………. 4. Orbit is ………… 5. Why can astronauts jump higher on

the moon rather than on Earth?

6. What causes the seasons? Use a diagram to explain your answer.

7. What causes day and night? 8. revolution is………… 9. rotation is …………….. 10. The pull of gravity depends on ____ and

_________.

11. Why do the planets stay in orbit?11. Why do the planets stay in orbit? 12. List the phases of the moon in order 12. List the phases of the moon in order

starting with the full moon.starting with the full moon. 13. What 2 time periods do we mark by the 13. What 2 time periods do we mark by the

completion of all the moon phases.completion of all the moon phases. 14. Compare waxing and waning. 14. Compare waxing and waning. 15. Name 2 types of eclipse. How are they 15. Name 2 types of eclipse. How are they

different? different?

16. What causes tides? 17. How do we observe objects in space? 18.Name the planets: inner and outer 19. How are the inner planets different from

the outer planets? 20. Compare our moon and a satellite.

21. Compare comets, meteors, meteorites, asteroids.