| Term | Definition |
|---|
| aerial burst | the explosion of a meteoroid in the atmosphere, generally at an altitude of 12km to 50km |
| asteroid | a rocky or metallic body in outer space ranging from 10m to 100km in diameter |
| comet | an object that orbits the sun and is composed of a sponge-like rocky core surrounded b ice and covered bt carbon-rich dust; a tail of gas and dust glows as a comet approaches the Sun. Comets range from a few meters to a few hundred km in diameter |
| ejecta blanket | the layer of breccia surrounding an impact crater, typically forming an irregular area of low mounds and shallow depressions. |
| impact crater | the bowl-shaped depression produced by the impact of an asteroid |
| Kuiper Belt | a ring-like zone of abundant comets in the outer solar system |
| mass extinction | the sudden disappearance of large numbers of plants and animals |
| meteor | an extraterrestrial particle up to several centimeters in size that is consumed by frictional heat as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere. Light emmited from the burning meteor forms a shooting star. |
| meteorite | an extraterrestrial particle of dust to asteroid size that hits the earth's surface |
| meteoroid | an extraterrestrial particle in space that is smaller than 10m in diameter and larger than dust size; it may form from the breakup of an asteroid |
| Oort Cloud | a zone of comets outside the solar system |
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