Question

mischka is an amateur astronomer. using her telescope, she looks out past the earths atmosphere and observes an object with a long, bright, cloud-like tail behind it. what is mischka observing?

an asteroid
a meteorite
a comet
a meteoroid

Explanation:

Asteroids are rocky objects without tails. Meteorites are meteoroids that have entered Earth's atmosphere and are usually small and burn up quickly. Meteoroids are small rocky or metallic bodies in space. Comets, on the other hand, are composed of ice, dust, and rocky material. When a comet approaches the Sun, the heat causes the ice to vaporize, creating a long, bright, cloud - like tail.

Answer:

a comet