1. Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors
Oh my!
Are you ready? Are you ready to
learn all about the craziness
that are these celestial
objects?!
Great! Let’s go!

2. Asteroids
 A rocky object revolving around the sun
 It is smaller than a planet (this is what
makes it different from terrestrial/rocky
planets).
 They are found between the orbits of Mars
and Jupiter in the Asteroid Belt!

3. Comets
 A small clump of ice and dust with an
extremely elliptical (oval) orbit around the
Sun.
 As it nears the sun on it’s orbit, the ice
sublimates (goes straight from a solid to a
gas) and forms the coma and tail.
 The comet becomes visible because the
gas gets into an excited state and lights
up (kind of like neon lights)

4. Hubble details an incredible Comet:
 This is a picture of
comet 73P breaking
up as it is passing by
the Sun.
 The comet was 1.17
AU from the sun and
.22 AU from Earth.

Photo credit: NSA, ESA, STSci

5. Meteors(oids/ites)
 Are solid, interplanetary particles
passing through Earth’s atmosphere.
 These solid objects (usually also rocky)
are usually headed towards earth.
Depending on their specific location
(outside the atmosphere, inside the
atmosphere or on the ground) it has a
different name.

6. Meteors? Meteorites? Meteoroids? What’s
the difference?!?!
 The Quick Trick:
 - “oids” are outside the atmosphere, - “ites”
are inside it, and – “ors” are in between.
 Meteoroids outside atmosphere (
meteoroids are in the void of space)
 Meteorites on Earth’s surface ( meteorites
are in the earth tight)
 Meteors are in-between
Meteoroids
Meteors
Meteorites

7. The Life of a Meteor…
Please draw something
similar to the image on
the right in your notes
sheet.
At each stage, write a
short description of what
is happening that is
making it “change” and
label each stage
(meteor, meteoroid,
meteorite).
Atmosphere
Earth’s Surface

8. Comets vs. Meteors
(what’s the difference?)
 If both look like bright streaks of light in
the sky, how can you tell the difference?
 Comets seemingly hang motionless in the sky
whereas meteors quickly streak across the sky
(shooting star) and are only seen for a fraction
of a second
 Comets are millions of miles away, meteors
are in our atmosphere.
 Comets are orbiting the sun, Meteors are
headed towards the Earth’s surface.