Objective – Describe the characteristics of comets, asteroids, and meteors.
Name ______________________________________________________
Asteroid, Comet, or Meteor?
Identify which characteristic an asteroid, comet, and meteor has. If it has the
characteristic, place an “X” in the column.
Asteroid
Characteristic
Made of ice, dust, and gas.
Appears as a streak in the
sky.
Made of rock and/or
metal.
Orbits the Sun.
Often called “shooting
stars.”
Sometimes called a “dirty
snowball.”
Orbits between Mars and
Jupiter.
Most are found in the
Oort Cloud or Kuiper
Belt.
Comet
Meteor
Objective – Describe the characteristics of comets, asteroids, and meteors.
Asteroid, Comet, or Meteor – Key
Asteroid
Comet
Meteor
Characteristic
X
Made of ice, dust, and gas.
Appears as a streak in the
sky.
Made of rock and/or
metal.
Orbits the Sun.
Often called “shooting
stars.”
Sometimes called a “dirty
snowball.”
Orbits between Mars and
Jupiter.
Most are found in the
Oort Cloud or Kuiper
Belt.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X