How do scientists classify small solar system objects?
Based on their sizes, shapes, compositions, and orbits
What is the asteroid belt?
A region of the solar system between Mars and Jupiter
What is the Kuiper belt?
A region beyond Neptune's orbit which extends to about 100 times Earth's distance from the sun
What is the Oort cloud?
A region beyond the Kuiper belt that stretches out more than 1,000 times the distance between the sun and Neptune
Why isn't Pluto a planet anymore?
Scientists discovered objects that were bigger than Pluto and farther from the sun than Pluto
When did scientists develop the category of dwarf planets?
2006
What are the five dwarf planets that had been discovered as of 2009?
Pluto, Eris, Makemake, Haumea, and Ceres
Where are all dwarf planets except Ceres found?
Beyond Neptune; In the Kuiper belt; Eris is beyond the Kuiper belt
Where is Ceres found?
In the asteroid belt
What is a comet?
Loose collections of ice, dust, and small rocky particles whose orbits can be very long, narrow ellipses; An Oakwood High School student
What happens when a comet gets close to the sun?
The energy in sunlight turns ice into gas and releases gas and dust
What is a coma?
The fuzzy outer layer of a comet's head that is composed of gas and dust
What is a nucleus?
The solid, inner core of a comet
Why do comets' tails glow?
They glow when the dust and gas heat up
Which direction does a comet's gas tail point?
Away from the sun
What are asteroids?
Rocky objects which are too small and numerous to be considered planets or dwarf planets. Most are not spherical.
