8

Science

Quarter 2 – Module 6:
Comets, Meteors, & Asteroids
Science – Grade 8
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 2 – Module 6: Comets, Meteors, & Asteroids
First Edition, 2020
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Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Writer: Debie P. Dela Cruz

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Reviewer: Faye Genevieve P. Pasamonte
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-
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Template Developer : Neil Edward D. Diaz
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 8

Science
Quarter 2 – Module 6:
Comets, Meteors, & Asteroids

Debie P. Dela Cruz

Introductory Message

For the Facilitator:

Welcome to the Science-Grade 8 Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on Comets,

Meteors, & Asteroids!
This module was collaboratively designed, developed, and reviewed by educators both
from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping
the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming
their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.
This learning resource hopes to engage the learners in guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st-century skills while taking into consideration their
needs and circumstances.
In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage
their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
 Table of Content

Introduction .................................................................................................... iv

Objectives .................................................................................................... 1

Pre-test ..................................................................................................... 1-2

Lessons
Asteroids, Comets and Meteors .................................................................... 3

Activity 1 ..................................................................................... 3

Activity 2 ..................................................................................... 3

Comets ..................................................................................................... 5-7

Asteroid ..................................................................................................... 8-10

Meteors & Meteorites ..................................................................................... 10-12

Activity 3 ..................................................................................... 13

Activity 4 ..................................................................................... 14

Activity 5 ..................................................................................... 16

Post-test .................................................................................................... 16-18

Activity 6 ..................................................................................... 18-19

Engaging and Interactive Activities

Word Wall Gameshow Quiz .................................................................... 20

Word Wall Match Up .................................................................... 21

Answer Key ........................................................................................................ 22

References ........................................................................................................ 23-24

Content Standard: Characteristics of comets, meteors, and asteroids.
Performance Standard: Discuss whether or not beliefs and practices about comets
and meteors have a scientific basis.
MELC: Compare and contrast comets, meteors, and asteroids.

OBJECTIVES:
After going through the module, you are expected to:
1. Compare and contrast comets, meteors, and asteroids.

PRE-TEST

Direction: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. Between which orbits does the main asteroid belt lie?

A. Jupiter & Mars C. Mars & Earth
B. Saturn & Jupiter D. Venus & Earth

2. Astronomers think that most comets come from _____________________________..

A. interstellar space
B. condensation of gas in the Sun’s hot outer atmosphere
C. luminous clouds in the Earth’s upper atmosphere are created when a small asteroid
is captured by the Earth’s gravity
D. small icy bodies in the extreme outer parts of the Solar System

3. What causes the bright streak of light that we see when a meteoroid
enters the Earth’s atmosphere?
A. Frictional heating C. Reflection of sunlight
B. Radioactive decay D. disturbance in the Earth’s magnetic field

4. Which of the following CORRECT about the tail of a comet?

A. It always points toward the Sun.
B. It always points away from the Sun.
C. It is made of both gas and dust pulled off by the Sun’s gravity
D. A comet’s tail is caused by atmospheric refraction as it moves through Space.

5.Ceres, although originally believed to be a major planet, actually belongs to

the group of objects called:
A. Asteroids B. Comets C. Meteors D. Meteorites

6. The Halley’s comet is considered a periodic comet and returns to the Earth’s
vicinity about once every .
A.75 years B. 93 years C. 159 years D. 256 years

7. What is the Oort Cloud?

A. a cluster of asteroids C. a swarm of comets far from the Sun
B. the same as the coma of a comet D. the cloud that a meteoroid produces

8 .Which of the following is referred to as “shooting star”?

A. asteroid C. meteor
B. comet D. planet

1
9. Which of the following statements is TRUE about comets and asteroids?
A. Both comets and asteroids are made of ice and dust.
B. Comets form tails while asteroids do not.
C. Only comets orbit the Sun.
D. A comet’s orbit is elliptical while an asteroids orbit is circular.

10. Which of the following is TRUE about meteoroids?

A. They are found in the Kuiper Belt.

B. They have an icy composition.
C. They are bigger than comets and asteroids.
D. They are smaller than comets and asteroids.

For Item Nos. 11 – 13, please refer to the given table.

CHARACTERISTICS COMET ASTEROID

Size range of diameter (km) 1-10 (nucleus only) 1-100++
Origin Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud Main Asteroid Belt
Shape Varied/Irregular Varied/Irregular
Orbit Highly Elliptical More rounded 1-
Orbital period (years) 75 to 100,000 +++ 100

11. Which will most likely to make a frequent visit to Earth?

A. Comet C. Both A & B

B. Asteroid D. Neither A nor B

12. Which of the following statements is NOT true for comets and asteroids?

A. Comets completes its orbit faster than asteroids.

B. Both comets and asteroids have different shapes.
C. Both comets and asteroids come from different origin.
D. Asteroids are bigger than comets.

13. Which NEO will create greater impact if it hits Earth?

A. Comet because it has larger size than asteroid.

B. Asteroid because it has larger size than comet.
C. Both will make greater impact because both have the same size.
D. It is impossible for both comets and asteroids to hit Earth.
14. What is the average period of orbit of a comet?

A. 75 – 100,000 years C. 20 – 49 years

B. 50 – 75 years D. 1 – 19 years

15. Which near-Earth objects (NEO) is/are remnants of the solar system?
A. Comets B. Asteroids C. Meteors D. all of these

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Your answer
is
CORRECT!

BACK
Your answer
is
WRONG!

BACK
 Lesson 1. Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors

What exactly are asteroids?

How are asteroids different from a comet and from a meteor?

in this module, you will learn about the similarities and differences between comets, asteroids, and
meteors – the small bodies in our solar system.

Before we proceed further, it is important to look back on your past lessons

that are in some way related to this topic.
So, are you ready? Let’s begin!

Activity 1: TRUTH OR FICTION

Direction: Read each statement carefully and indicate if it is TRUTH or FICTION.

STATEMENT TRUTH OR
FICTION
1. What we call a falling star is not really a star. TRUTH FICTION
2. Comets contain water. TRUTH FICTION
3. Meteors are bigger than asteroids. TRUTH FICTION
4. A comet appearing in the sky foretells an impending war TRUTH FICTION
and famine.
5. Comets, asteroids are remnants from the formation of TRUTH FICTION
the solar system.

Activity 2: HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW THEM?

Direction: Complete the “Before the Lesson” section of the Comets, Meteors, and
Asteroids Anticipation Guide by selecting (put a check) which object each statement
describes based on your prior knowledge. You shall go back to this table once you’re
done with the module.

Before Lesson Characteristic After Lesson

Comet Meteor Asteroid Its structure is considered to be like a large dirty snowball. It Comet Meteor Asteroid

is made up of dust and rock that burn up in the Earth’s

atmosphere.
It is a rock made up of similar material that formed the
planets.
Smaller pieces of rock broken from this object become
meteoroids.
Most of these are located between the orbits of Marks and
Jupiter.

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 Your answer
is
CORRECT!

BACK
Your answer
is
WRONG!
BACK
 What’s New

Near-Earth Objects (NEO) such as comets and asteroids — and the meteors
that sometimes originate from them — are leftovers from the formation of our solar
system 4.6 billion years ago. While the planets and moons have changed over the
millennia, many of these small chunks of ice, rock, and metal have not. They are
a lot like a fossil record of planetary evolution.
Various space missions are
being conducted to provide
important insights into the
early evolution of planets, and
to help explain the origins of
water on Earth. Tracking NEOs
are also important. On
December 18, 2020 Asteroid
2020 XX3 passed by Earth and
was only 251,000 km away
from it.
On February 16, 2012,
Asteroid 2012 DA14 made a
very close approach to Earth as
it orbited the Sun. On the same
day, an asteroid entered Earth’s
atmosphere and exploded over
Lake Chebarkul in Russia Figure 1. 2020 XX3's Orbit & Location on December 18, 2020
hurting about 1,000 people in
Source: https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/
the process. These triggered
doomsday prophecies held by different cultures. But do the appearances of comets
& asteroids bring misfortune? Does wishing upon a falling star bring good luck?
Let’s find out! Let’s get to know these small bodies in our solar system.
Asteroid 2012 DA14

PLAY

4
PLAY
 What is It

The information (including still images/ photographs) in this

section are taken from the NASA Science Solar System
Exploration <solarsystem.nasa.gov).

Comets
Comets are frozen leftovers from the formation of the solar system
composed of dust, rock and ices. They have been referred to as "dirty snowballs."
They range from a few miles to tens of miles wide, but as they orbit closer to the sun,
they heat up and spew gases and dust into a glowing head that can be larger than a
planet.

PLAY

Corporate, I. (n.d.). Meteorites on Earth: how many fall per year and why don’t we see them? Iberdrola. https://www.iberdrola.com/innovation/meteorites-earth

Comets may have brought water and organic compounds, the building blocks of life, to the
early Earth and other parts of the solar system.

Where Do Comets Come from?

Comets are believed to have two sources:
•Oort Cloud
–Where Long-period comets come from. These long-period Comets take 200-
100,000 years to complete an orbit around the sun.
•Kuiper Belt
–Where Short-period comets come from. These short-period Comets take
less than 200 years to complete an orbit around the sun.

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 As theorized by astronomer Gerard
Kuiper in 1951, a disc-like belt of icy bodies
exists beyond Neptune, where a population of
dark comets orbits the Sun in the realm of
Pluto. These icy objects, occasionally pushed
by gravity into orbits bringing them closer to the
Sun, become the so-called short-period
comets.

Taking less than 200 years to orbit the

Sun, in many cases their appearance is
predictable because they have passed by
before. This disc-like belt of icy bodies in the
outer Solar System, extending from the orbit
of Neptune (at 30 AU) to approximately 50 AU
from the Sun is known as the Kuiper belt,
Astronomer Gerard Kuiper, for whom the
Kuiper Belt is named.
The Kuiper Belt
Photo Credit: NASA Science Solar System Exploration Photo Credit: University of Arizona Lunar
and Planetary Lab

occasionally called the Edgeworth–Kuiper

belt. It is similar to the asteroid belt but is far
larger – 20 times as wide and 20–200 times
as massive. Less predictable are long-
period comets, many of which arrive from a
region called the Oort Cloud about 100,000
astronomical units (that is, about 100,000
times the distance between Earth and the
Sun) from the Sun. These Oort Cloud
comets can take as long as 30 million years
to complete one trip around the Sun.

Parts of a comet
1. nucleus
2. coma
3. ion tail
4. dust tail
Each comet has a tiny frozen part, called a nucleus, often no larger than a few
kilometers across. The nucleus contains icy chunks, frozen gases with bits, of
embedded dust. A comet warms up as it nears the Sun and develops an atmosphere,

6
 or coma. The Sun's heat causes the comet's ices to
change to gases so the coma gets larger.

The coma may extend hundreds of thousands of

kilometers. The pressure of sunlight and high-speed
solar particles (solar wind) can blow the coma dust
and gas away from the Sun, and an ion (gas) tail.
Most comets travel a safe distance from the Sun―
comet.

Halley comes no closer than 89 million kilometers

(55 million miles). However, some comets, called
sungrazers, crash straight into the
Sun or get so close that they break up and evaporate.

Halley’s Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Comet C/1996 B2 Hyakutake

Howell, E. (2022, January 13). Halley’s Comet: Facts 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko - NASA 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko - NASA Science. (n.d.).
about history’s most famous comet.Space.com. Science. (n.d.). https://science.nasa.gov/solar- https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/67p-
https://www.space.com/19878-halleys-comet.html system/comets/67p-churyumov-gerasimenko/ churyumov-gerasimenko/

Exploration of Comets
Scientists have long wanted to study comets in some detail, tantalized by the few 1986 images
of comet Halley's nucleus. The following are some notable space explorations of comets:

1. NASA's Stardust mission successfully flew within 236 kilometers (147 miles) of the
nucleus of Comet Wild 2 in January 2004, collecting cometary particles and interstellar dust for
a sample return to Earth in 2006. The photographs taken during this close flyby of a comet
nucleus show jets of dust and a rugged, textured surface. Minerals formed near the Sun or
other stars were found in the Stardust samples, suggesting that materials from the inner
regions of the solar system traveled to the outer regions where comets formed.
2. Deep Impact consisted of a flyby spacecraft and an impactor. In July 2005, the
impactor was released into the path of the nucleus of comet Tempel 1 in a planned collision,
which vaporized the impactor and ejected massive amounts of fine, powdery material from
beneath the comet's surface.

How Comets Get Their Names

Comet naming can be complicated. Comets are generally named for their
discoverer—either a person or a spacecraft. For example, comet Shoemaker-Levy 9
was so named because it was the ninth short-periodic comet discovered by Eugene
and Carolyn Shoemaker and David Levy.

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 Asteroids

Asteroids, sometimes called minor planets, are rocky remnants left over from the early
formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. The current known asteroid count
is: 1,039,283. Most of this ancient space rubble can be found orbiting the sun between
Mars and Jupiter within the main asteroid belt. Asteroids range in size from Vesta—the
largest at about 329 miles (530 kilometers) in diameter - to bodies that are less than 33 feet
(10 meters) across. The total mass of all the asteroids combined is less than that of Earth's
Moon.
As they revolve around the sun
in elliptical orbits, the asteroids also
rotate, sometimes quite erratically,
tumbling as they go. More than 150
asteroids are known to have a small
companion moon (some have two moons). PLAY
PLAY

There are also binary (double) asteroids, in which

two rocky bodies of roughly equal size
orbit each other, as well as triple asteroid systems.
Composition
The three broad composition classes of asteroids are C-, S-, and M-types.
● The C-type (chondrite) asteroids are most common, probably consist of clay
and silicate rocks, and are dark in appearance. They are among the most
ancient objects in the solar system.
● The S-types ("stony") are made up of silicate materials and nickel-iron.
● The M-types are metallic (nickel-iron).
The asteroids' compositional
differences are related to how far
from the sun they formed. Some
experienced high temperatures
after they formed and partly
melted, with iron sinking to the
center and forcing basaltic
(volcanic) lava to the surface.
Jupiter's massive gravity and
occasional close encounters with Mars or
another object change the asteroids'
orbits, knocking them out of the main belt
Do asteroid belts have their own orbit? If not, do they rotate along with Mars, Jupiter, or the Sun?

and hurling them into space in all directions across the Ishave-their-own-orbit-If-not-do-they-rotate-along-with-Mars-Jupiter-or-the-Sun-Is-there-also-a-
orbits of the other planets.
there also a variation in belt de. . . (n.d.). Quora. https://www.quora.com/Do-asteroid-belts-
variation-in-belt-density-because-of-the-surrounding-planets

Stray asteroids and asteroid fragments slammed into Earth and the other planets in
the past, playing a major role in altering the geological history of the planets and in
the evolution of life on Earth.

8
 Scientists continuously monitor Earth-crossing asteroids, whose paths intersect
Earth's orbit, and near-Earth asteroids that approach Earth's orbital distance to within about
45 million kilometers (28 million miles) and may pose an impact danger. RADAR is a
valuable tool in detecting and monitoring potential impact hazards. By reflecting transmitted
signals off objects, images and other information can be derived from the echoes. Scientists
can learn a great deal about an asteroid's orbit, rotation, size, shape, and metal
concentration.
Asteroid Classifications
● Main Asteroid Belt: The majority of known asteroids orbit within the asteroid belt
between Mars and Jupiter, generally with not very elongated orbits. These asteroids are the
asteroids found between MARS and Jupiters.
● Trojans: These asteroids share an orbit with a larger planet, but do not collide with it
because they gather around two special places in the orbit (called the L4 and L5 Lagrangian
points). The Jupiter trojans form the most significant population of trojan asteroids. It is
thought that they are as numerous as the asteroids in the asteroid belt. There are Mars and
Neptune trojans, and NASA announced the discovery of an Earth trojan in 2011.
● Near-Earth Asteroids: These objects have orbits that pass close by that of Earth.
Asteroids that actually cross Earth's orbital path are known as Earth-crossers. As of June
19, 2013, 10,003 near-Earth asteroids are known and the number over 1 kilometer in
diameter is thought to be 861, with 1,409 classified as potentially hazardous asteroids -
those that could pose a threat to Earth.

PLAY

Apollo, Amor, and Aten Near Earth Asteroids. (n.d.).

https://www.spacesettlement.com/apollo-amor-aten-near-earth-
How Asteroids Get Their Names asteroids.html

The International Astronomical Union's Committee on Small Body Nomenclature is one of the

naming committees responsible for naming small bodies in the solar system. Some names
are attributed to notable people like the rock musician Frank Zappa, and done for more
somber tributes such as the seven asteroids named for the crew of the Space Shuttle

Columbia killed in 2003. Asteroids are also given a number, for example (99942) Apophis.
Did you know that in 2017 three asteroids were named after students from Davao City
National High School won 2nd Place in the Intel International Science and Engineering

Fair (ISEF) for their plant sciences team project? These asteroids are 34044 Obafial,
34047 Gloria, and 34049 Myrelleangela.

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 Notable Exploration Highlights

● NASA's Galileo mission was the first spacecraft to

fly past an asteroid. It flew past asteroid Gaspara
in 1991 and Ida in 1993.
● In 2005, the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa
landed on the near-Earth asteroid Itokawa and
attempted to collect samples. On June 3, 2010,
Hayabusa successfully returned to Earth a small
amount of asteroid dust now being studied by
scientists.
● In December 2020, a capsule from Hayabusa2
successfully landed in the deserts of Australia
bringing with it samples from the Asteroid Ryugu.
● NASA's Dawn spacecraft, launched in 2007,
orbited and explored asteroid Vesta for over a Soil sample are seen inside a
year. Once it left in September 2012, it headed container of the re-entry capsule
brought back by Hayabusa2 / JAXA /
towards dwarf planet Ceres. Vesta and Ceres are
VIA AP
two of the largest surviving protoplanet bodies
that almost became planets. By studying them with the same complement of
instruments on board the same spacecraft, scientists will be able to compare
and contrast the different evolutionary path each object took to help
understand the early solar system overall.

Meteors & Meteorites

What’s the difference between a meteor, meteoroid and meteorite? They’re all
related to the flashes of light called “shooting stars” sometimes seen streaking across the sky.
But we call the same object by different names, depending on where it is. Meteoroids are
what we call “space rocks” that range in size from dust grains to small asteroids. This term
only applies when they’re in space. Most are pieces of other, larger bodies that have been
broken or blasted off. Meteoroids come from comets, others from asteroids, and some
even come from the Moon and other planets. Some meteoroids are rocky, while others are
metallic, or combinations of rock and metal. When meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere, or
that of another planet, like Mars, at high speed and burn up, they’re called meteors.

This is also when we refer to them as “shooting stars”.

Sometimes meteors can even appear brighter than
Venus -- that’s when we call them “fireballs”. Scientists
estimate that about 48.5 tons (44,000 kilograms)
of meteoritic material falls on Earth each day.
When a meteoroid survives its trip through the
atmosphere and hits the ground, it’s called a meteorite.

How are meteoroids, meteors and meteorite related? | Socratic.

(n.d.). Socratic.org. https://socratic.org/questions/how-are-
meteoroids-meteors-and-meteorite-related

10
Meteor Showers
Several meteors per hour can usually be seen on any given night. When there
are lots more meteors, you’re watching a meteor shower. Some meteor showers occur
annually or at regular intervals as the Earth
passes through the trail of dusty debris left by a comet Perseiden Perseids Meteor Shower 2023

(and, in a few cases, asteroids). Meteor showers are

usually named after a star or constellation that is close
to where the meteors appear to originate in the PLAY

sky. Perhaps the most famous are the A burst of

1999 Leonid meteors as seen Perseids, which peak
around August 12 every at 38,000 feet from Leonid
Multi year. Every Perseid meteor is a tiny piece of Lucas Gatsas. (2023, August 29). Perseiden Perseids Meteor Shower 2023 August
#astrophotography #astro. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcQo8Zh5L_4

Instrument Aircraft Campaign. the comet Swift-Tuttle,

which swings by the Sun every 135 years.

Other notable meteor Center/ISAS/Shinsuke Abe and Hajime showers include the
Leonids, associated with Yano comet Tempel-Tuttle; the Aquarids and Orionids, linked to comet
Halley, and the Taurids, associated with comet Encke. Most of this comet debris is between the
size of a grain of sand and a pea and burns up in the atmosphere before reaching the ground.
Sometimes, meteor dust is captured by high-altitude aircraft and analyzed in NASA laboratories.
One of the major meteor streams is the Leonids meteor shower. In 2020, the
shooting stars was seen from November 16 to November 17. It resulted to 10 to 15 meteors per
hour. The Leonids is associated with comet 55P/ Tempel-Tuttle.

Meteorite Impacts in History

Early Earth experienced many large meteor impacts that caused extensive
destruction. While most craters left by ancient impacts on Earth have been erased by erosion
and other geologic processes, the Moon’s craters are still largely intact and visible. Today, we
know of about 190 impact craters on Earth.
A very large asteroid impact 65 million years ago is thought to have contributed
to the extinction of about 75 percent of marine and land animals on Earth at the time, including
the dinosaurs. It created the 180-mile-wide (300-kilometer-Meteor Crater (also known as
Barringer wide (Chicxulub Crater on the Yucatan Crater), Arizona, USA is only 50,000
Peninsula. years old
Image Credit: NASA/Ames Research

One of the most intact impact craters is

the Barringer Meteor Crater in Arizona. It’s about
0.6 miles (1 kilometer) across and was formed by
the impact of a piece of iron-nickel metal
approximately 164 feet (50 meters) in diameter. It is
only 50,000 years old and so well preservedthat it
has been used to study impact processes. Since the
1890s geologists studied it, but its status as an
impact crater wasn’t confirmed until 1960.

11
 Comets and asteroids are referred to be astronomers as Near-Earth
Objects (NEO). Comets are icy bodies or objects while asteroids are rocky
fragments. They are remnants from the formation of our solar system 4.6 billion
years ago. The table below summarizes the similarities and differences between a
comet and an asteroid.

Table 1. Comparison of some characteristics of comets and asteroids

Characteristic Comet Asteroid

Origin Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud Main Asteroid Belt

Shape Varied/Irregular Varied/Irregular

Size range of diameter 1-10 (nucleus

(kilometer) only) 1 – 100++

Ice
(frozen water); frozen
gases (ammonia, methane, and Silicates
Chemical composition (olivine and pyroxene), iron,
carbon dioxide); other organic
compounds (Carbon- nickel
containing compounds)

Orbit Highly elliptical More rounded

Orbital period (years) 75 to 100,000++ 1-100

As you can see in the table, comets and asteroids have irregular shapes and varied
sizes. They both reflect light from the Sun at varying amounts depending on the size and
composition. The presence of more silicates allows a comet or asteroid to reflect light. Silicates
are minerals that contain the elements silicon, oxygen, and at least one metal. If an asteroid has
smaller amounts of silicates relative to its other components, it would be more difficult to see it
even with a telescope because only a small area of the asteroid can reflect light thus it may
appear smaller than what it really is when viewed.

Comet and asteroid both orbit the Sun and move relatively slow when viewed from
Earth. This means, you can see a comet for up to a year in the night sky (or even during the
morning if the comet is bright enough). Their major difference is their origin or where they came
from in space. Comets usually come from the Oort Cloud which is beyond our Solar System,
and a few from Kuiper Belt which is just beyond Neptune’s orbit. Long-period comets come from
the Oort Cloud, while short- period comets come from Kuiper Belt. Comet Halley, the most
famous comet of the

12
 What’s More

Write and use the numbers in the VENN DIAGRAM

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Activity 4: Meteoroid, Meteor, and Meteorite: How are they Related?
Note: This activity is taken from the DepEd Grade 8 Learner’s Material.

Objectives:
● Describe the changes that happen to a fragment from a comet or asteroid
as it enters the Earth’s atmosphere; and,
● Represent the relationship between a meteoroid, meteor, and meteorite.
Procedure:
Read the selection and answer the questions as you go along.

Q1. What is a meteor?

Q2. What is a meteoroid?
Q3. What celestial (space) objects can a meteoroid come from?

Q4. What causes a meteor?

Q5. How can you differentiate a meteor from a comet when viewed from Earth?

14
Q6. Show where a meteoroid, meteor, and meteorite are most likely to be found in
the diagram below. Use the following symbols for each: meteor; meteoroid; and
meteorite.

Q7. How are a meteor, meteoroid, and meteorite related?

What I Have Learned

1. A comet is a body of ice, rock and dust that orbits the sun. It can be several miles
in diameter. Debris from comets is the source of meteoroids.
2. An asteroid is an object larger than a meteoroid that orbits the sun. It is made of
rock or metal.
3. A meteoroid is a small rocky or metal object, usually between the side of a grain
of sand or a boulder, that objects the sun. It originated from a comet or asteroid.
4. A meteor is a meteoroid that enters the earth’s atmosphere and vaporizes. It is
also called a “shooting star”.

Revisit the Anticipation Guide in Activity 2 and fill out the After Lesson columns.

15
 What I Can Do

Activity 5: Superstitions or Not?

Objective:

● Provide a sound, scientific evidence to support one’s stand about

superstitions on comets, asteroids, and meteors.
Materials:
● Paper and Pen
Instruction:
1. Research about superstitions related to comet and asteroid in the library, internet,
and by interviewing your parents or elderly neighbors.
2. Choose two superstitions (one from the Philippines, and one from other countries).
3. Answer the question: Do superstitions about comets and asteroids have scientific
basis? Why or why not?
4. List down as many scientific evidence to support your answer to the question.
Rubrics:

Weight/ Criterion Description

Percentage
50% Quality of Research All possible sources of information were
exhausted.
50% Evidence-Based Evidence gathered to support the group’s
Stand stand is well supported by accurate scientific
facts and information.

Post-test

Direction: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate
sheet of paper.

1. Which of the following is referred to as “shooting star”?

A. asteroid C. meteor B. comet D. planet

16
For Item Nos. 2 – 4, please refer to the given table.

CHARACTERISTICS COMET ASTEROID

Size range of diameter (km) 1-10 (nucleus only) 1-100++
Origin Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud Main Asteroid Belt
Shape Varied/Irregular Varied/Irregular
Orbit Highly Elliptical More rounded
Orbital period (years) 75 to 100,000 +++ 1-100

2. Which will most likely to make a frequent visit to Earth?

A. Comet C. Both A & B
B. Asteroid D. Neither A nor B

3. Which of the following statements is NOT true for comets and asteroids?
A. Comets completes its orbit faster than asteroids.
B. Both comets and asteroids have different shapes.
C. Both comets and asteroids come from different origin.
D. Asteroids are bigger than comets.

4. Which NEO will create greater impact if it hits Earth?

A. Comet because it has larger size than asteroid.
B. Asteroid because it has larger size than comet.
C. Both will make greater impact because both have the same size.
D. It is impossible for both comets and asteroids to hit Earth.

5. What is the average period of orbit of a comet?

A. 75 – 100,000 years C. 20 – 49 years B. 50 – 75 years
D. 1 – 19 years

6. Astronomers think that most comets come from _____.

A. interstellar space
B. condensation of gas in the Sun’s hot outer atmosphere
C. luminous clouds in the Earth’s upper atmosphere created when a small
asteroid is capture by the Earth’s gravity
D. small icy bodies in the extreme outer parts of the Solar System
7. What causes the bright streak of light that we see when a meteoroid enters
the Earth’s atmosphere?
A. Frictional heating C. Reflection of sunlight
B. Radioactive decay D. disturbance in the Earth’s magnetic field
8. Which of the following is TRUE about meteoroids?
A. They are found in the Kuiper Belt.
B. They have an icy composition.
C. They are bigger than comets and asteroids.
D. They are smaller than comets and asteroids.

9. Which of the following is CORRECT about the tail of a comet?

A. It always points towards the Sun.
B. It always points away from the Sun.
C. It is made of both gas and dust pulled off by the Sun’s gravity
D. A comet’s tail is caused by atmospheric refraction as it moves through

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10. The Halley’s comet is considered a periodic comet and returns to the Earth’s
vicinity about once every _____.
A. 75 years C. 159 years
B. 93 years D. 256 years

11. Between which orbits does the main asteroid belt lie?
A. Jupiter & Mars C. Mars & Earth
B. Saturn & Jupiter D. Venus & Earth
12. What is the Oort Cloud?
A. a cluster of asteroids C. a swarm of comets far from the Sun B. the same as the
coma of a comet D. the cloud that a meteoroid produces

13. Which of the following statements is TRUE about comets and asteroids?
A. Both comets and asteroids are made of ice and dust.
B. Comets form tails while asteroids do not.
C. Only comets orbit the Sun.
D. A comet’s orbit is elliptical while an asteroids orbit is
circular.
14. Which near-Earth objects (NEO) is/are remnants of the solar system?
A. Comets C. Meteors
B. Asteroids D. all of these
15. Ceres, although originally believed to be a major planet, actually belongs
to the group of objects called:
A. Asteroids C. Meteors
B. Comets D. Meteorites

Additional Activities

Activity 6: Space Poetry (For STE Learners)

Space has been a source of inspiration and the subject of creative endeavors
for ages. Ancient storytellers looked to the skies, named constellations and created
tales to accompany their skyward creations. Playwrights, authors, musicians,
photographers and painters have all found inspiration in space and have inspired
others with their works about space.
Your task is to construct a poem about any of all of the three small bodies
introduced in this module – comets, asteroids, and meteors. The form may have
the
following forms:
● Acrostic – one in which a word or phrase is spelled our vertically using
a letter from each line
● Shape Poetry – uses the layout of works or other visual cues to convey
meaning that relates to the subject
● Free Verse – not constrained to rules of meter, rhythm and rhyme

18
 You may use images from nasa.gov. sites and lay the text of the poem over the
image for visual effects.

Rubrics:

CATEGORY Excellent - 4 Good - 3 Satisfactory - 2 Needs Improvement - 1

CONCEPTUAL The poem has no The poem has no The poem has no The poem has
CORRECTNESS conceptual errors. conceptual errors. conceptual errors conceptual error/s.

CORRECTNESS Student devoted a lot Student devoted Student devoted some Student devoted little
of time and effort to adequate time and time and effort but time and effort. It
make the poem a good effort to get the job does enough to get by. appears that the
read. done. student does not care
about the assignment.
TITLE The poem has a title The poem has a title The poem has a title The poem has no title
that clearly relates to that relates to the
the poem and adds poem
interest to the theme
or message.
STYLE The poem is written The poem is written The poem is written The poem lacks style
with a great sense of with a defined style. somewhat with style. and the thoughts did
style. The poem has Thoughts are clear to
Thoughts are clear to a not come out clearly on
been well thought out read and degree. paper.
and make understandable.
sense to understandable.
VOCABULARY The poem is filled with The poem includes The poem includes The poem lacks
descriptive vocabulary many descriptive some descriptive words description and
that appeals to the elements and is does and phrases. not allow the reader to
reader. appealing. visualize the poem.

Made of frozen ice, gas,
and dust
Made of rock and/or
metal
Ceres is the biggest
Halley is one
Part of the Solar System
Have a long dust tail
Have a long ion tail
Have no tail
Remnants of the early
evolution of the planets
Have no atmosphere
Highly elliptical orbit
Some originate from the
Kuiper belt
Have long gas tail
Some have hit the Earth
Surrounded by hydrogen
cloud

19
Engaging and interactive
Activities
WORD WALL - GAMESHOW QUIZ

START

PLAY

20
Engaging and interactive
Activities
WORD WALL - MATCH UP

START

21
 22
Act. 3. Meteoroid, Act. 3. How are we Alike?
Meteors, Meteorites How are we Different?
Assessment Blue (Comet)
- made of frozen, ice, & gas
Q1. A meteor is a light - Halley is one
C phenomenon or a streak of
B - Have a long dust tail
light as observed from Earth - Have a long ion tail
A when a meteoroid passes - Have long gas tail
B through Earth’s atmosphere - Some originate from Kuiper
A belt
D Q2. A meteoroid is a - Surrounded by Hydrogen
A fragment from a comet, an cloud
D asteroid, Moon, or even Mars - Highly Elliptical Orbit Green
that orbits around the Sun. (Both)
B - Part of the solar system
A Q3. Meteoroids can come - Some have hit the earth
A from comets, asteroids, the - Remnant of the early
C Moon, and Mars. evolution of the planets
B Asteroid (Yellow)
- Made of rock and/ or metal
D Q4. A meteor is observed
- Ceres is the biggest
A when a meteoroid passes - Have no tail
through earth’s atmosphere - Have no atmosphere
and burns up in the process.
What I Know What's In
A Activity 1. Truth or
D False
A
Truth
B
A Truth
A False
C False
C Truth
B Activity 2. How Much
D Do You Know Them?
B Comet
A Meteor
B Asteroid
A Meteor
D Comet
Answer Key
References
NASA Science Solar System Exploration < https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/>
Department of Education – Grade 8 Science Learner’s Material
Department of Education – Grade 8 Science Teacher’s Guide
Japan Times (Accessed December 2020) < https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news
/2020/12/19/national/science-health/hayabusa2-asteroid-soil/>

Images
Page 4
Figure 1. 2020 XX3's Orbit & Location on December 18, 2020 Source:
https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/
Figure 2: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/
Page 5
Corporate, I. (n.d.). Meteorites on Earth: how many fall per year and why don’t we
see them? Iberdrola. https://www.iberdrola.com/innovation/meteorites-earth
Page 6
University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Lab
NASA Science Solar System Exploration
Page 7
Howell, E. (2022, January 13). Halley’s Comet: Facts about history’s most famous
comet.Space.com. https://www.space.com/19878-halleys-comet.html
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko - NASA Science. (n.d.). https://science.nasa.gov/solar-
system/comets/67p-churyumov-gerasimenko/
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko - NASA Science. (n.d.). https://science.nasa.gov/solar-
system/comets/67p-churyumov-gerasimenko/
Page 8
Do asteroid belts have their own orbit? If not, do they rotate along with Mars,
Jupiter, or the Sun? Is there also a variation in belt de. . . (n.d.). Quora.
https://www.quora.com/Do-asteroid-belts-have-their-own-orbit-If-not-do-they-
rotate-along-with-Mars-Jupiter-or-the-Sun-Is-there-also-a-variation-in-belt-
density-because-of-the-surrounding-planets

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Page 9
Apollo, Amor, and Aten Near Earth Asteroids. (n.d.).
https://www.spacesettlement.com/apollo-amor-aten-near-earth-
asteroids.html
Page 10
How are meteoroids, meteors and meteorite related? | Socratic. (n.d.).
Socratic.org. https://socratic.org/questions/how-are-meteoroids-meteors-and-
meteorite-related
Page 11
Lucas Gatsas. (2023, August 29). Perseiden Perseids Meteor Shower 2023
August #astrophotography #astro.
NASA/Ames Research

Videos
Page 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsBUZy1ZCYQ
Page 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfULbvhI1pU
Page 8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPUXfIH93ns
Page 9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt8wRB7ufGo
Page 11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcQo8Zh5L_4

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