An icy leftover planetesimal orbiting the Sun is
A)a comet.
B)a meteorite.
C)a meteor.
D)an asteroid.
E)possibly any of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

An icy leftover planetesimal orbiting the Sun is most likely a comet, as comets are made up of ice and rock and orbit the Sun in elongated orbits. Meteorites are fragments of asteroids or comets that have fallen to Earth and burned up in the atmosphere, while meteors are visible streaks of light created when a meteoroid (a small piece of rock or debris in space) enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up. Asteroids are mostly made up of rock and metal and orbit the Sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, so an icy planetesimal would not be classified as an asteroid. Therefore, the best choice is A) a comet.

An Icy Leftover Planetesimal Orbiting the Sun Is