Skill 16.2 Recognize properties of objects within the solar system and their dynamic interactions

Skill 16.2 Recognize properties of objects (e.g., comets, asteroids) within the solar system and their dynamic interactions. 

Astronomers believe that the rocky fragments that may have been the remains of the birth of the solar system that never formed into a planet. Asteroids are found in the region between Mars and Jupiter. 

Comets are masses of frozen gases, cosmic dust, and small rocky particles. Astronomers think that most comets originate in a dense comet cloud beyond Pluto. Comet consists of a nucleus, a coma, and a tail. A comet s tail always points away from the sun. The most famous comet, Halley s Comet, is named after the person whom first discovered it in 240 B.C. It returns to the skies near earth every 75 to 76 years. 

Meteoroids are composed of particles of rock and metal of various sizes. When a meteoroid travels through the earth s atmosphere, friction causes its surface to heat up and it begins to bum. The burning meteoroid falling through the earth s atmosphere is now called a meteor or also known as a shooting star.  

Meteorites are meteors that strike the earth s surface. A physical example of the impact of the meteorite on the earth s surface can be seen in Arizona, The Barringer Crater is a huge Meteor Crater. There many other such meteor craters found throughout the world. 

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