Asteroids – small, irregularly shaped bodies revolving around the sun   Asteroid belt – Most asteroid exist here - between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter There are other asteroids.  Some asteroids cross earth’s orbit at times.  Every million years or so, an asteroid collides with the earth.

 

Meteoroids – small chunk of rock or metal (smaller than an asteroid) Meteor – the streak of light that results when a meteoroid enters the earth’s atmosphere. Most of them burn up in the atmosphere. Meteorites – when a meteor does not completely burn up and can be found on earth’s surface

 

Comets – an icy object traveling around the sun in a huge elliptical orbit.  The tail of the comet always points away from the sun due to solar winds.  Comets’ orbits are so huge that their period of revolution may be 76 years or 75,000 years or 500,000 years.  Famous comets – Halley’s comet, Kohoutek