Exam 19: Meteorites, Asteroids, and Comets

Carbonaceous chondrites I. contain mostly iron and nickel. II. contain volatiles. III. contain chondrules. IV. are similar in composition to the S-type asteroids.

What physical processes have led to the creation of stone and iron meteorites from carbonaceous chondrite asteroids?

Most short-period comets do not have randomly oriented orbits because

Explain how the impact of a large comet may have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.

What observational evidence do we have that some meteors are caused by debris from comets?

The scientists in the picture above are placing what object in an airtight bag?

The appearance of the cut and polished meteorite shown above is due to a Widmanstätten  pattern.

The above image shows a named ____________ that orbits a(n) ____________.

The straight line tail is straight because of the ____________.

Which of the following is evidence for the connection between comets and meteor showers?

After formation, an asteroid could produce an iron core and a rocky silicate mantle if it melted then

Which tail in the above photo is the gas tail?

What evidence do we have that the orbits of the asteroids are modified by the gravitational influences of the planets?

The ____________ is a disk-shaped cloud of icy bodies believed to extend from about 40 AU (the orbit of Pluto) out to 100 AU. It is believed that most short-period comets originate from this region.

Jupiter was probably influential in preventing the formation of a planet at the present location of the asteroid belt.

____ are round bits of glass found in some stony meteorites.

____________ asteroids are located in the orbit of Jupiter.

A(n) ____________ is a stony meteorite that contains no chondrules and no volatiles. They appear to have been melted after they formed and resemble solidified lavas.

The shape of a comet's ____________ tail is formed by radiation pressure.

The tail on the right side of the photo is the dust tail.