Ch 23 part 10 meteoroids and Comets

Meteoroids are pieces of rock, usually less than a few hundred meters in size and that travel THROUGH the Solar system.

Meteoroid are found IN space

Meteors are found ENTERING a planets atmosphere. (often called shooting stars)

Meteorites are a meteor that has made it through the atmosphere and strikes the SURFACE of the planet.

Meteor showers are visible from Earth, but conditions have to be favorable: no clouds, best if it is a New Moon, or Crescent moon.

There will be 15 meteor showers in 2021.

"Fireball" meteors will be visible from Halley's comet on May 5, 2021

Dusty pieces of ice and rock that partially vaporize when they pass near the Sun.

Halley's Comet passed Earth in 1986, and will not pass again until 2061.

A comet is made up of 3 visible parts:

The nucleus is the solid inner core of a comet.

The coma is a cloud of gas and ice which form a fuzzy outer layer.

The tail has gas and dust streams caused from passing close to the Sun.

Halley's comet is a "periodic" come and returns to Earth about every 75 years and is visible for the naked eye.