NAEP Science Grade 12

Category - Earth Science

The Oort cloud is a region in space that scientists have determined is:
  1. The source of most comets.
  2. An area where new stars form.
  3. The location of the asteroid belt.
  4. An area where a supernova occurred.
Explanation
Correct Response: A. Long-period comets and many other types of comets are believed to have originated in the Oort cloud. The Oort cloud is outside the orbits of the planets and extends to the solar system's outer boundary where the Sun's gravitational influence is very weak. The region contains mostly icy planetesimals and at its outer edge the orbits of these objects can be perturbed by passing stars, occasionally causing them to travel toward the inner solar system. New stars would not form in this region (B) because of the Sun's proximity and the lack of sufficient dust and gas. The asteroid belt (C) is in a different region of the solar system than the Oort cloud. A supernova covers an enormous area and would have obliterated the solar system had it occurred in the region occupied by the Oort cloud (D).
Was this helpful? Upvote!
Login to contribute your own answer or details

Top questions

Related questions

Most popular on PracticeQuiz