Comets
A comet is a small celestial body that orbits the sun. It is made up of ice, dust, and rocky material, and is often described as a "dirty snowball" due to its composition.
Characteristics of Comets:
- Nucleus: The solid core of a comet, composed of ice and dust.
- Coma: The fuzzy, cloud-like region surrounding the nucleus, formed as the comet approaches the sun and the ice begins to vaporize.
- Tail: As the comet gets closer to the sun, the solar wind and radiation push the gas and dust away from the nucleus, creating a tail that points away from the sun.
Study Guide:
- What is the composition of a comet's nucleus?
- What causes the formation of a comet's coma?
- How is a comet's tail formed?
The nucleus of a comet is composed of ice, dust, and rocky material.
As a comet approaches the sun, the ice in its nucleus begins to vaporize, creating a fuzzy, cloud-like coma around the nucleus.
As the comet gets closer to the sun, the solar wind and radiation push the gas and dust away from the nucleus, forming a tail that points away from the sun.
Comets have fascinated astronomers and the public for centuries, and studying them can provide valuable insight into the formation and evolution of the solar system.
.◂Science Worksheets and Study Guides Kindergarten. Living and Nonliving
The resources above cover the following skills:
PHYSICAL SCIENCE (NGSS)
Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.
Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE (NGSS)
Earth and Human Activity
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live.