The Life Cycle of a Comet

Here's something I didn't know until Luke asked to learn about meteorites: they are by-products of comets!

Actually, they're by-products of meteors, which are by-products of meteoroids, which are by-products of comets. Isn't that interesting?

We're also learning about how meteorites shape earth and other planets, moons, etc; yesterday, we did a fun, cool experiment to simulate crater-making. Here are some pictures:

Here, we are layering flour and different colored sand/smashed-up chalk/food-coloring-laced sugar, to create different layers of rock in the earth.

Then, bombs away! Luke wanted dinosaurs and a flashlight to simulate the sun, so he could see how the dust from the impact could block out sunlight rays.

Now, the box is sitting outside in very windy conditions, to simulate erosion - also, so that kids can play in the flour without getting our kitchen all dirty!