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The answer sheet for the worksheet Meteor showers and comets. Each answer comes with the reason, so it can be used to mark or to go over the questions with the class.

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KS2 · Ages 7 to 11 (Years 3 to 6)Answer sheet for teachers

Answers: Meteor showers and comets

  1. C: Earth meets the dust trail at the same point in its orbitEarth goes once around the Sun each year, so it reaches the same dust trail on the same dates.
  2. B: A dark field away from street lightsMeteors are easiest to see somewhere dark, away from lights, with a wide view of the sky.
  3. D: The OrionidsEach shower is named after the constellation where its radiant is, so a shower from Orion is the Orionids.
  4. A: Comet Swift–TuttleThe Perseids' dust comes from Comet Swift–Tuttle.
  5. False: the right answer is Your eyes need time to get used to the darkYour eyes slowly adjust to darkness, so after about 20 minutes you can see fainter meteors.
  6. False: the right answer is No bigger than grains of sandMost grains left behind by a comet are no bigger than grains of sand.
  7. 13 to 14 December (accept any answer with the same meaning)The Geminids peak around 13 to 14 December. The Perseids peak in August.
  8. It comes from an asteroid, Phaethon, not a comet (accept any answer with the same meaning)Most showers come from comets, but the Geminids come from an asteroid called Phaethon.

Task

Answers will vary. The task comes from the lesson: On a clear night near a shower peak, count meteors with an adult for 15 minutes using a tally chart, then work out the rate per hour. If it is cloudy, use the events calendar on this site to find the next shower and make a viewing plan: date, place, what to wear and what to bring.

Look for work that uses the key words correctly and gives a reason for each point.

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