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Chapter 15: Problem 30

Why do astronomers think that meteorites come from asteroids, while meteor showers are related to comets?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Astronomers believe meteorites come from asteroids due to their composition which indicates they've been through intense heat, something attributed to collisions of larger bodies like asteroids. Meteor showers, however, come from dust and gas released by comets as they heat up near the sun. The Earth passing through these debris streams causes the meteor shower.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Origin of Meteorites

Meteorites are pieces of rock that have fallen to the Earth's surface. When larger bodies in the asteroid belt collide, they send fragments (meteoroids) into space which sometimes hit Earth. The reason why we relate meteorites to asteroids is because of their composition. Many meteorites show signs of intense heating, indicating they come from larger bodies like asteroids that are capable of creating such heat.
02

Understand the Origin of Meteor Showers

Meteor showers are caused by streams of debris left behind by comets. Comets are bodies of ice and rock that heat up near the sun, releasing dust and gas and forming a visible coma or 'tail'. As Earth moves through these debris streams, the bits of debris create streaks of light in the sky, known as a meteor shower.
03

Compare and Contrast

These explanations indicate fundamentally different sources for meteorites and meteor showers. Meteorites are rocky fragments from asteroid collisions, indicated by their heated state. Meteor showers, on the other hand, are crumbs from icy comets that leave debris trails which Earth passes through. The distinct natures of asteroids and comets and their associated phenomenons are evidence to this difference.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Search the World Wide Web to find out why some scientists disagree with the idea that a tremendous impact led to the demise of the dinosaurs. (They do not dispute that the impact took place, only what its consequences were.) What are their arguments? From what you learn, what is your opinion?

What are Kirkwood gaps? What causes them?

Describe the asteroid belt. Does it lie completely within the plane of the ecliptic? What are its inner and outer radii?

What is the evidence that an asteroid impact could have contributed to the demise of the dinosaurs?

What is the evidence that carbonaceous chondrites are essentially unaltered relics of the early solar system? What do they suggest about how the solar system may have formed?
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