OTHER OBJECTS OTHER OBJECTS IN THE SOLAR IN THE SOLAR

SYSTEMSYSTEM

COMETSCOMETSASTEROIDSASTEROIDS

METEOROIDSMETEOROIDSMETEORSMETEORS

METEORITESMETEORITES

THE COMETTHE COMET

A COMET IS A LARGE CHUNK OF A COMET IS A LARGE CHUNK OF ICE, DUST, FROZEN GASES (carbon ICE, DUST, FROZEN GASES (carbon dioxide), AND ROCK FRAGMENTS dioxide), AND ROCK FRAGMENTS THAT MOVES THROUGH SPACE.THAT MOVES THROUGH SPACE.

Comets originate in an icy cloud that Comets originate in an icy cloud that surrounds the solar system beyond surrounds the solar system beyond the orbit of Plutothe orbit of Pluto

THE OORT CLOUDTHE OORT CLOUD• Named after Dutch

astronomer, Jan Oort who proposed the presence of this cloud

• A spherical cloud surrounding the solar system & extending

out 3 light years or 100,000 A.U.’s (Earth is one A.U. ….Pluto is 39

A.U.’s from the sun) Oort Cloud is known as the Oort Cloud is known as the

birthplace for all cometsbirthplace for all comets Considered the edge of the Considered the edge of the

sun’s gravitational influencesun’s gravitational influence

Halley’s CometHalley’s Comet

Orbits the sun every 75-79 years. Orbits the sun every 75-79 years. Last seen in 1986; will be seen again Last seen in 1986; will be seen again

in 2061in 2061 As seen in Bulgaria on March 12, As seen in Bulgaria on March 12,

19861986 Nucleus is about 16 km. acrossNucleus is about 16 km. across

ASTEROIDSASTEROIDS

ASTEROID-ASTEROID- A large chunk A large chunk of rock traveling through of rock traveling through spacespace

Most asteroids are located Most asteroids are located between Mars and Jupiter- between Mars and Jupiter- known as the Asteroid Beltknown as the Asteroid Belt

Many have probably been Many have probably been captured to form moonscaptured to form moons

Asteroids can be a few feet Asteroids can be a few feet to several hundred miles to several hundred miles widewide

The belt probably contains The belt probably contains at least 40,000 asteroids at least 40,000 asteroids that are more than 0.5 that are more than 0.5 miles acrossmiles across

METEOROIDS, METEORS METEOROIDS, METEORS AND METEORITESAND METEORITES

A A METEOROIDMETEOROID IS ANY PIECE OF IS ANY PIECE OF

ROCK THAT IS TOO SMALL TO BE ROCK THAT IS TOO SMALL TO BE CALLED AN ASTEROID.CALLED AN ASTEROID.

WHEN EARTH PULLS THE WHEN EARTH PULLS THE METEOROID TO OUR ATMOSPHERE, METEOROID TO OUR ATMOSPHERE, IT BECOMES A IT BECOMES A METEORMETEOR..

A A METEORITEMETEORITE IS THE NAME GIVEN IS THE NAME GIVEN TO A METEOR THAT STRIKES TO A METEOR THAT STRIKES EARTH’S SURFACEEARTH’S SURFACE

MostMost meteors burn up completely meteors burn up completely when entering Earth’s atmosphere.when entering Earth’s atmosphere.

Friction causes the meteor to glow Friction causes the meteor to glow as it streaks across the sky.as it streaks across the sky.

There are about 120 impact craters There are about 120 impact craters on Earthon Earth

BARRINGER CRATER•Meteor crater in Arizona

•Formed about 50,000 years ago by an iron meteor about 30-50 meters in diameter

•Crater is 1200 meters in diameter and 200 meters deep-about 12 football fields in diameter