Make models of asteroids with clay and paint.
Keywords
• Asteroids
• Planet formation
Materials
• Clay
• Brushes
• Paint
Learning Objectives Learn about the characteristics and location of asteroids, and how planets and asteroids form.
Background Science
Asteroids are boulders orbiting the Sun, with sizes ranging between some hundred metres and several kilometres.
Credit: NASA / JAXA / Arecibo / NSF / ESA
An asteroid is called a meteorite if it hits the Earth. If it completely evaporates in the Earth’ s atmosphere before crashing on the surface, it’ s called a meteor. People usually refer to meteors as‘ shooting stars’. Most meteorites are predominantly composed of silicates or a mixture of iron and nickel. In the past, some huge meteorites have struck the Earth. Sixty-five million years ago, almost 90 % of animal species were eradicated( among them the dinosaurs) when a meteorite hit Yucatan, Mexico. Luckily, this happens very rarely! We owe this to Jupiter, which attracts many asteroids with its gravitational pull.