Other Objects in the Solar System Quiz

Question 1

Meteoroids will occasionally collide with Earth but most will ___ because they are so small.

Accepted Answer

burn up in the atmosphere

Question 2

Halley's comet will return again in ___ after its last closest approach to Earth in 1986.

Accepted Answer

2062

Question 3

Scientists study asteroids & comets to understand how the solar system formed and to

Accepted Answer

maybe stop another collision that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Question 4

Halley's comet was named after Sir Edmund Halley after he realized that the same comet

Accepted Answer

reappeared after every 76 years or so.

Question 5

Comets that are knocked out of the Oort cloud may escape into deep space or

Accepted Answer

head towards the Sun & possibly collide with a planet.

Question 6

Pieces of space rock that are very similar to the building material used to make planets are

Accepted Answer

called asteroids.

Question 7

A comet is composed of dust and rock particles mixed with

Accepted Answer

frozen water, methane & ammonia.

Question 8

Which statement best describes a meteor?

Accepted Answer

meteroids that make a flash of light when hitting the Earth

Question 9

After many trips around the Sun, most of the comet's water ice will not be affected.

Accepted Answer

FALSE

Question 10

The largest object in the asteroid belt is the dwarf planet ___ .

Accepted Answer

Ceres

Question 11

Other important objects in the solar system (besides planets & moons) include asteroids,

Accepted Answer

meteoroids & comets.

Question 12

Sometimes comets are knocked out of the Oort cloud by gravitational interactions with

Accepted Answer

our Sun & other stars.

Question 13

A ___ forms around a comet's nucleus as water ice creates a gaseous envelope closer to the Sun.

Accepted Answer

coma

Question 14

The solar wind also causes the comet's tail to always point towards the Sun.

Accepted Answer

FALSE

Question 15

The Oort cloud was named after a Dutch astronomer who theorized about

Accepted Answer

an extremely large area of comets outside Pluto's orbit.

Question 16

Asteroids are mostly found between the orbits of ___ but can be found almost anywhere.

Accepted Answer

Mars & Jupiter

Question 17

Which statement best describes a meteorite?

Accepted Answer

a meteoroid that is large enough to make it Earth's surface

Question 18

As the Sun's solar wind hits the comet a very long ___ can form extending millions of miles.

Accepted Answer

tail

Question 19

As a comet approaches the Sun the frozen water starts to ___ or change from a solid to gas.

Accepted Answer

sublimate

Question 20

Meteoroids form as dust particles stream off a comet's nucleus - which leaves a long trail.

Accepted Answer

TRUE

Questions 20