Question

1. objects other than planets and moons orbit the sun. (10 points)

a. what is a meteoroid? (2 points)
b. what is a meteorite? (2 points)
c. what is a meteor? (2 points)
d. what is the difference between a comet and an asteroid? (4 points)

Explanation:

A. A meteoroid is a small rocky or metallic body in space, smaller than an asteroid.
B. A meteorite is a meteoroid that has survived its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and landed on the Earth's surface.
C. A meteor is a meteoroid that enters the Earth's atmosphere and burns up, creating a streak of light in the sky, also known as a "shooting - star".
D. Comets are composed mainly of ice, dust, and frozen gases, and have highly elliptical orbits. When they approach the sun, the heat causes the ice to vaporize, forming a glowing coma and sometimes a long tail. Asteroids are rocky and metallic objects, mostly found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and have more irregular orbits compared to comets and are generally composed of rock and metal rather than ice.

Answer:

A. A small rocky or metallic body in space, smaller than an asteroid.
B. A meteoroid that has survived its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and landed on the Earth's surface.
C. A meteoroid that enters the Earth's atmosphere and burns up, creating a streak of light in the sky.
D. Comets are mainly ice - dust - gas based with highly elliptical orbits and develop coma/tail near sun; asteroids are rocky/metallic, mostly in asteroid belt with more irregular orbits.