13.

1 (B) Movement of Meteoroids,

Asteroids and Comets
Movement of a Meteoroid

• A meteoroid is a small fragment of rock and metal that floats in outer

space and travels around the Sun.
• Meteoroids move freely in space without an orbit of its own.
• Due to the smaller size and mass of meteroids, they are easily
influenced by smaller gravitational pulls.
• Meteoroids are influenced by the gravitational pull of planets, the
moon and other objects around it.
Movement of a Meteoroid
• When a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it will be
called a meteor.
• Molecular friction between air and the meteor produces heat
until it burns, resulting in a streak of light.
Movement of a Meteoroid

• Meteors showers happen

when many meteors enter
the Earth at the same time.
Movement of a Meteoroid
• Usually meteors will burn out before they reach the Earth.
• However there are meteors that can reach the Earth.
• These meteors are known as meteorites.

Meteorite Hoba
- Largest meteorite
in the world.
- Located in Namibia
Movement of a Meteoroid
• Crates will form as a result of meteorite impact.
• A huge crater was formed due to a meteorite impact
approximately 50 000 years ago in Arizona, United States.
• Its diameter is approximately 1.2 km.
Movement of an Asteroid
• Asteroids move at an average speed of 25 km s-1.
• Most asteroids are in the asteroid belt.
• However there are some asteroid orbits that are outside of
asteroid belts, such as the orbits of Apollo, Amor and Aten.
Movement of an Asteroid
• Orbits that are outside the asteroid
belt can be near or even intersect
with the orbit of the Earth.
• Collisions can happen between
asteroids and the Earth at the
intersection point of trails near the
orbit of the Earth and orbit of the
asteroids.
Movement of an Asteroid
• Collisions with large asteroids can result in the destruction of
living things on the Earth.
Movement of a Comet
• A comet moves at a speed range of 10 to 70 km s-1.
• Most comets are from the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud.
• When a comet gets closer to the Sun, it increases in speed, melts
and appears to have a long tail.
Movement of a Comet
• The tail of a comet is always away from the Sun due to solar
wind blowing from the Sun.
Movement of a Comet
• Strong gravitational pull of outer planets causes the comet to
easily slip out of its orbit.
• A comet that is out of its orbit has a risk of colliding with the
Earth at high speed.
See you
in the next
video …