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A printable worksheet for the lesson Meteor showers and comets (KS2). It prints on A4 without the website around it. The answers are on a separate sheet for the teacher.

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KS2 · Ages 7 to 11 (Years 3 to 6)Howardites worksheet

Meteor showers and comets

Name:Class:Date:

Key words

Meteor shower
A time each year when many more shooting stars than usual can be seen, all seeming to come from the same part of the sky.
Comet
An icy, dusty object from the outer Solar System that grows a glowing head and tail when it comes near the Sun.
Perseids
The Perseids are a popular summer meteor shower each August, made by dust from Comet Swift–Tuttle.
Geminids
The Geminids are a rich meteor shower each December, produced by debris from the asteroid Phaethon.
Phaethon
3200 Phaethon is a near-Earth asteroid that is the parent of the Geminid meteor shower.
Radiant
The point in the sky that all the meteors in a shower seem to fly out from.

Choose the right answer

Circle the letter of the right answer.

  1. Why does a meteor shower happen on about the same dates every year?
    • AThe Moon pushes the dust towards Earth each month
    • BThe dust only glows during certain seasons of the year
    • CEarth meets the dust trail at the same point in its orbit
    • DThe comet visits Earth on exactly the same day each year
  2. Which place would be best for watching a meteor shower?
    • AUnder a tree with thick leaves
    • BA dark field away from street lights
    • CA brightly lit car park
    • DIndoors by a window with the light on
  3. A shower's meteors all seem to come from the constellation Orion. What is it called?
    • AThe Geminids
    • BThe Perseids
    • CThe Radiants
    • DThe Orionids
  4. Where does the dust of the Perseids come from?
    • AComet Swift–Tuttle
    • BSaturn's rings
    • CThe asteroid Phaethon
    • DThe planet Mars

True or false?

Is the answer given right? Tick True or False.

  1. Why should you wait about 20 minutes in the dark before counting meteors?

    Answer given: The sky needs time to cool down TrueFalse

  2. How big are most of the dust grains in a comet's trail?

    Answer given: About the size of cars TrueFalse

Write your answer

Answer in a word or a short sentence.

  1. Around which dates do the Geminids peak?
  2. What is unusual about where the Geminids' dust comes from?

Task

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.

Howardites · free to copy for use in your classroom · answers are on the separate teacher's answer sheet