So what really are the differences between a comet, a meteorite, and an asteroid?
What is a comet?
A comet is a collection of gas and dust that is frozen together in deep space. These objects spend most of their lives in clouds with other comets. However, sometimes a stray comet gets pulled into a closer orbit around the sun. When that happens, something spectacular happens! The comet starts to melt, shooting off two enormous tails: one made of dust, the other, gas. Most of the time when this happens, the comet gets slingshotted off to a distant place, making most comets a once in a lifetime viewing.
What is an asteriod?
An asteroid is a smallish hunk of rock orbiting the sun. Asteroids can be as small as a speck of dust, but they have one common rule: they cannot be rounded by their own gravity. Most asteroids are found in the asteroid belt and the Kuiper belt.
What is a meteor?
The classification between meteors, meteoroids, and meteorites can get a little confusing! Meteoroids are objects in space that are basically smaller asteroids. When a meteoroid starts to fall towards the earth, it is called a meteor. When it finally hits earth, it is called a meteorite.
A meteor shower happens when may meteoroids fall to earth. These are some of the coolest astronomy phenomena that you can see! Most of these showers are periodic, meaning that we can predict exactly where and when they will happen!
Comets are rarer, with only a few per year being visible to the naked eye.
Finally, the moon is one of the most important protectors of the earth! The dark side of the moon is littered with craters. This is because the moon can take most of the meteoroid hits that would hit the earth.
Do you have any cool facts about comets, meteorites, or asteroids? Share them in the comments below!
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