#1.08 Reading - Solar System Objects

Comets often have a visible tail when they get closer to the Sun, while asteroids generally do not.

Outer planets are primarily composed of gases or ice, while inner planets are mostly solid rock.

Planetesimals are smaller than planets.

Distances measured in kilometers or miles would be very large numbers.

Gravity is the force that keeps the planets in orbit around the Sun.

The inner planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, which are primarily rocky.

The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, which are primarily gas giants.

Comets are made of ice, dust, and rocky material.

A meteoroid is a small rock or particle from space, while a meteor is the streak of light produced when a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere.

The Kuiper Belt is a region of the solar system beyond Neptune, filled with small icy bodies and dwarf planets.