Meteors+-+KS

Getting Started

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Rubric: [[file:Space Exploration Adventure Rubric.doc]], [[file:Space Exploration Adventure Rubric.pdf]]

 * Written Information **: As you enter text, the area will expand. Make sure to check the required details of the assignment and review the rubric (see document links) to self-assess your work. Your paragraphs will be in block format, enter one return between paragraphs. The tab key, indent feature will not appear when typing directly into the wiki page.

Visuals Make sure to include the location of your image; add a caption with this information || ||   ||
 * [[image:http://callisto.ggsrv.com/imgsrv/FastFetch/UBER1/00018632 caption="Barringer Meteor Crater"]] ||  ||   ||
 * [[image:http://galenet.galegroup.com/images/itkids/pct/SIDOC0160IMG001.jpg caption="Image of "Meteor""]] ||  ||   ||
 * Meteoroid, meteor, and meteorite
 * [[image:http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/376676main_mer20090806a-516.jpg width="516" height="386" align="bottom" caption="Composition measurements by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity confirm that this rock on the Martian surface is an iron-nickel meteorite."]] ||  ||   ||

**Works Cited** **Sources** : Include the source information for all of the magazine articles, reference sources (encyclopedias) and web site pages that were used to complete your project. The source information for encyclopedias may be found at the end or beginning of each entry in iCONN. When using periodicals, the publication information will be at the beginning or end of the article. This needs to be formatted for MLA standards. If it is not labeled 'Source Citation' it can be formatted appropriately by using EasyBib.com. You should use EasyBib for the web sites. The final Works Cited should be listed in alphabetical order by the first word of the source citation. "Milky Way." //Kids InfoBits Presents: Astronomy//. Gale, 2008. Reproduced in Kids InfoBits. Detroit: Gale, 2012. "The Milky Way." //WMAP's Universe//. NASA, 28 June 2010. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. . Vergano, Dan. "Galaxy Bracketed by Big Bubbles." //USA Today// 10 Nov. 2010: 05A. Web. 6 Mar. 2012.
 * Sample:**

Meteors and Meteorites." //Astronomy & Space: From the Big Bang to the Big Crunch//. Gale, 2007. //Gale Science In Context//. Web. 9 Mar. 2012. Document URL http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/scic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=SCIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CCV2640050100&mode=view&userGroupName=s0002&jsid=a7bea9499043d59c38f600c51caa1428 **Gale Document Number:** GALE|CV2640050100
 * __WORK CITED__**


 * Source Citation:** "Meteors and Meteorites." //Kids InfoBits Presents: Astronomy//. Gale, 2008. Reproduced in Kids InfoBits. Detroit: Gale, 2012. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits


 * Document Number:** BX3200950738


 * Source Citation:** "Meteors and Meteorites." //Kids InfoBits Presents: Astronomy//. Gale, 2008. Reproduced in Kids InfoBits. Detroit: Gale, 2012. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits


 * Document Number:** BX3200950716

Meteoroid, meteor, and meteorite." //Experiment Central//. U*X*L, 2010. //Gale Science In Context//. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. Document URL http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/scic/ImagesDetailsPage/ImagesDetailsWindow?total=6&query=BS%20meteors&prodId=SCIC&windowstate=normal&mode=view&limiter=AC%20y&displayGroupName=Images&currPage=4&sortBy=relevance%2Cdescending&action=e&catId=&view=docDisplay&documentId=GALE%7CCV2210049876&userGroupName=s0002&jsid=7b5b380c4d4bc6d6dfbb923e307d02a1 **Gale Document Number:** GALE|CV2210049876


 * Your Source List:**

**Topic: Research Focus**
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 * State the focus of your research:**

**Notes** ==== Include notes, statistics and facts that you will use to write your final paper. You may want to label sections of your notes to help you be more organized as you write. As you take notes from a source, you should list the source citation in the Works Cited section above. ====

A meteor is particle of space debris from the size of a small piece of sand to a boulder-sized chunk. Any space debris larger than a boulder is considered an asteroid. If one lands on Earth, it is considered a meteorite. If a piece of space debris is smaller than a bit of sand, it is considered interplanetary dust. Millions of objects from space come racing toward Earth every year. Fortunately, most of these burn up in the atmosphere and never reach Earth's surface. Some of the larger objects, however, arrive intact, announcing their presence with anything from a barely noticeable "plink" to a literally Earth-shattering thud. These objects come in two different classes: meteors and meteorites. Meteors, also (inaccurately) known as "shooting stars," are small particles left behind by a comet's tail. Astronomers encounter meteors every time the planet crosses the path of a comet or the debris left behind by a comet. Meteors appear as sparks that vaporize and fizzle in the sky, never reaching the ground. Tiny impact impressions left by minuscule meteors and smaller dust particles can also cause damage to orbiting spacecraft such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station. Meteorites are larger chunks of rock, metal, or both that break off from an asteroid or a comet and come crashing through Earth's atmosphere, right down to the ground.

Meteors are sometimes called shooting stars. But they are not stars. They are the bright lights coming from pieces of rock that broke off of planets or comets. A meteoroid is a piece of rock moving through space. It is called a meteorite if it hits Earth. A meteor is the bright streak of light a meteoroid makes in the sky as it falls. Meteoroids orbit the sun the way planets do. Some meteoroids move in groups. These groups are called meteor showers. Most meteoroids are the size of a tennis ball. Some are as tiny as a grain of salt. A meteoroid travels 5,000 times faster than a car zipping down a highway. Because it is moving so fast, a meteoroid pushes hard against the air. This is like a boat pushing through water. The force of a meteoroid pushing hard against the air is called ram pressure. This action heats the air around the meteoroid. The air makes the meteoroid burn hot. Meteoroids can be as hot as 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,649 degrees Celsius). They are so hot that most of them burn up as they fall through the sky. Very bright meteors are called fireballs. They shine more brightly than the planets. Even a tiny fireball has a lot of power. If a marble-size fireball hit Earth, it would be like two cars crashing on a highway.

Meteors are sometimes called shooting stars, but they really are not stars at all. They are the bright lights coming from pieces of rock that broke off of planets or comets. Some are even dust from comets. Meteors come in different colors, sizes, and brightness. Their glow is what makes them show up in the night sky.

Meteoroids, Meteorites, and Meteors
Many people mix up the words //meteoroid//,//meteorite//, and //meteor//. These words are similar, but they mean different things. A meteoroid is a piece of rock moving through space. A meteoroid that falls to the earth's surface is called a meteorite. A meteor is the bright streak of light a meteoroid makes in the sky as it falls.

Early History
Long ago people thought the weather caused meteors. But a huge meteor shower on November 12, 1833, changed this common belief. After the meteor shower in 1833, people realized that meteors moved in the sky the way the stars do. That meant meteors came from outside Earth's atmosphere. Now scientists know meteoroids orbit the sun the way planets do. And like planets, meteoroids have different orbits. Some meteoroids orbit in groups. When a group can be seen in the sky, it is a meteor shower. The meteor shower people saw in 1833 was named Leonid. Some cities reported 25,000 meteors falling that night. Scientists discovered that similar meteor showers happen every 33 years. People had written about meteor showers like Leonid for more than 1,000 years.

Size, Speed, and Light
Most meteoroids are the size of a tennis ball. Some are as tiny as a grain of salt and are called interplanetary dust. Really large meteoroids are called asteroids. A meteoroid travels 5,000 times faster than a car zipping down a highway. Because it is moving so fast, the meteoroid compresses the air in front of it. It pushes even harder on the air than a moving boat does on the water in front of it. As a boat moves through water, it leaves a wake behind it. Meteoroids do the same with the air. The force of a meteoroid pushing hard against the air is called ram pressure. This action heats the air around the meteoroid. The heated air makes the meteoroid burn hot. Meteoroids can be as hot as 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,649 degrees Celsius). Because of this great heat, most meteoroids burn up as they fall through the atmosphere. Scientists say that as much as 1,000 to 10,000 tons of meteoritic bits fall to Earth every day. If all these bits were piled in one place, they would weigh as much as 200 to 2,000 elephants. Luckily, most of the pieces that fall are as tiny as bits of dust. And since they are so light, they float gently through the air.

Unusual Meteors
Very bright meteors are called fireballs. They shine more brightly than the planets. Even a tiny fireball has a lot of power. If a marble-size fireball hit Earth, the crash would be like two cars crashing on a highway. A bolide is an exploding fireball. It sputters and flares before it bursts.