Upgrade to remove ads
Only $35.99/year

Other Objects in the Solar System

Terms in this set (15)

A comet is a
small object made of ice and dust that orbits the Sun and forms a coma as it approaches the Sun.
Abdid is an astronomer who has been observing objects that orbit the Sun in the asteroid belt. He finds a previously undiscovered round, rocky object that is not similar in shape to the rest of the asteroids. What has Abdid most likely found?
a new dwarf planet
65 million years ago there was a mass extinction that is best known for killing the dinosaurs. There was also a large deposit of dust that contained substances only found in asteroids. What most likely killed off the dinosaurs?
An asteroid impact caused the Sun to be blocked.
A scientist is tracking an object orbiting the Sun that is found between Mars and Jupiter. In order to classify the object as an asteroid, it must be at least
1 km
Shelly was surprised to learn the dwarf planet Pluto used to be considered a planet. What would have had to be true for Pluto to remain categorized as a planet?
Pluto would need to clear the neighborhood of its orbit.
Which terms describe space objects that are small chunks of rock and debris that are smaller than 1 km?
Meteoroids
Meteors
Meteorites
Which term specifically describes small chunks of rocks and debris in space that travel through the Earth's atmosphere and hit its surface?
meteorites
What is a small, rocky object that orbits the Sun and is usually found in a belt between Mars and Jupiter?

asteroid
...
Which of the following are dwarf planets? Check all that apply.
Ceres
Eris
Haumea
Makemake
Pluto
In a Venn diagram, the separate circles contain characteristics unique to each item being compared and the intersections contain characteristics that are common to both items being compared. This Venn diagram compares meteoroids, asteroids, and comets.

Which table below accurately describes what data could be filled into the Venn diagram?
A
Iridium is a substance found only in asteroids and other space objects. This graph shows the amount of Iridium found in different sediment layers of Earth. They are marked off into 17 sections representing time.

What most likely happened in sediment layer 5?
A massive dust cloud formed, causing global cooling and a lack of sunshine. This in turn caused a lack of plants and a mass extinction.
Which statement about dwarf planet locations is correct?
Ceres is found in the asteroid belt and Eris, Makemake, Haumea, and Pluto are found in the Kuiper Belt.
A scientist discovers a new object in the Kuiper Belt and claims it is a dwarf planet. What would have to be true about the object for the scientist to be correct?
The object would have to be spherical, orbit the Sun, and be traveling in a path with other objects.
A scientist discovers a deep bowl-like divot under the ocean off the coast of eastern Mexico that is many kilometers across. The layers of the ground all around the continent from around the time that structure formed contain large amounts of iridium and a larger number of fossils than is normally found. What most likely caused the bowl-like structure?
an asteroid impact
A scientist discovers a new body between the orbit of Neptune and the Kuiper Belt. The object is round and travels in an orbit around Neptune with other space objects. The scientist claims that she has found a new dwarf planet. Where is the scientist's error?
The object is a moon, not a dwarf planet.
Sets with similar terms