Follow along as host Jessi and her mouse sidekick, Squeaks, examine space's comets and asteroids. Discover what they are made of, their size, where we can find them, and two of the more popular space objects of the group.

As the dusty tail of a comet pass near Earth, particles fly off and burn up in Earth's atmosphere creating beautiful meteor showers. Learn about the Perseid Meteor Shower and the NASA space craft that make it possible for us to know when...

Dinosaurs owe their destiny to an asteroid. What are the chances humans will meet the same fate? A fascinating video lesson considers the probability of an asteroid colliding with the earth while taking into account variations in...

When you wish upon a shooting star ... you're actually pinning your hopes and dreams upon a meteor! Science scholars discover the origin of these dazzling falling bodies in a video that's sure to captivate. The narrator explains the...

What happens when a comet full of 'volatiles' comes to close to the sun? The volatiles ignite, creating a long gaseous tail. Are there differences between meteors and comets? Leading scientists and CG graphics help differentiate the two...

Finish or launch your unit on the solar system with a jigsaw project covering major celestial concepts such as the Milky Way Galaxy, asteroids, meteors, comets, Earth's moon, and, of course, all the planets. Learners start by...

How do scientists know the difference between a meteorite from space and a regular rock from the earth? Scholars read a passage and answer comprehension questions about the creation of the solar system. They extrapolate the main ideas to...

Preparing for an assessment? Here's an activity that will ensure that all class members have the background knowledge they need to demonstrate their skills on a performance task related to the solar system and the tools astronomers use...

A video exploring "flying space rocks" known as comets and asteroids. Learn about how comets got their name and the most famous comet. Also understand where asteroids are found and how they change into meteor then meteorite. [4:00]

Meteors are small bits of interplanetary debris broken off from asteroids or comets. When the Earth plows through the stream emitted by a comet, we get a meteor shower. Meteors burn up about 100 km above the Earth, but some survive to...

Today Phil helps keep you from ticking off an astronomer in your life by making sure you know the difference between a meteor, meteorite, and meteoroid. When the Earth plows through the stream emitted by a comet we get a meteor shower....

Comet Siding Spring is about to fly historically close to Mars. The encounter could spark Martian auroras, a meteor shower, and other unpredictable effects. Whatever happens, NASA's fleet of Mars satellites will have a ringside seat....

This activity poses the question: What would happen if a meteor or comet impacted Earth? Students simulate an impact in a container of sand using various-sized rocks, all while measuring, recording and graphing results and conclusions....

This site has links to all the planets, providing an overview of the solar system. It also contains information about asteroids, meteors, comets and other features of our solar system.