GK
SOLAR SYSTEM
|
Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
|
|
|
Solids with irregular shapes, some of which are larger than Pluto, that mostly orbit the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Venus.
|
|
|
Solids made of rock and ice with very elliptical orbits that release gas and dust in a bright display that can last weeks when they pass close to the Sun.
|
|
|
Solids that range in size from dust to small rocks that burn in a brief bright display when they enter Earth’s atmosphere.
|
|
|
None of the above
|
Detailed explanation-1: -Meteoroids are objects in space that range in size from dust grains to small asteroids. Think of them as “space rocks.” When meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere (or that of another planet, like Mars) at high speed and burn up, the fireballs or “shooting stars” are called meteors.
Detailed explanation-2: -The majority of visible meteors are caused by particles ranging in size from about that of a small pebble down to a grain of sand, and generally weigh less than 1-2 grams.
Detailed explanation-3: -Like a tiny time capsule, cosmic dust contains material left over from the birth of the solar system. One source of the dust is meteoroids–chunks of rocky debris that become meteors if they enter Earth’s atmosphere.
Detailed explanation-4: -A meteoroid is dragged toward Earth by gravity and enters the atmosphere. Friction with the atmosphere heats the object quickly, so it starts to vaporize. The object is now a meteor. Most meteors vaporize in the atmosphere; they never reach Earth’s surface.