Miscellaneous Facts About The Solar System In our

Miscellaneous Facts About The Solar System

In our solar system there is more than just planets. Some objects you may find are comets, asteroids, meteors, and stars.

Comets ØAbout 12 comets pass though our solar system every year. ØThey are usually named after their discoverers. ØThey are on long orbits that take them from the outer reaches of the Solar System to very close to the sun. ØThey have a tail that always points away from the sun. ØThe tails of bright comets can be 150 million kilometers long!

Asteroid ØRocky and Metallic ØThey are objects too small to sometimes called be considered minor planets. ØThey are left over material from the ØThere is a concentration of formation of the asteroids in a Solar System. region between Mars and Jupiter called the asteroid belt.

Meteors, Meteoroids, and Meteorites ØMeteoroids small pieces of space debris that are on a collision course with Earth. ØA meteoroid that enters the Earth’s atmosphere. ØFor the most part meteors are tiny specks of dust and rapidly burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. ØMost meteorites are small and do not do much damage. ØWhen a meteoroids strike the Sometimes they are bigger and for craters on the Earth’s surface they are now surface. called meteorites

Stars ØA star is a body that at some time in it’s life generates light and heat by nuclear reactions. ØStars begin when matter is compressed by the Galaxy’s winding spiral arms. ØIf the gravity becomes great enough, stars are formed.