What is a direct consequence of the absence of atmosphere on meteor entry?

• A. It prevents rainfall.
• B. It cools the surface.
• C. It reduces gravity.
• D. It shields by burning up meteors in entry.

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is that atmospheric entry heating comes from air friction. When there’s no atmosphere, there’s no air to heat and ablate the meteor, so it doesn’t burn up in the sky. Without that shielding, the meteor would reach the surface with more of its original energy, potentially causing a larger impact.

So, absence of atmosphere means no burning up during entry, not the opposite. The option that describes shielding by burning up relies on having an atmosphere, which isn’t present, and the other choices don’t connect to how atmospheric presence or absence affects meteor entry.