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Comets

Comets. Oort Cloud. The Oort cloud surrounds the Sun beyond the Kuiper Belt. 10,000 to 100,000 AU 1/5 the way to the nearest star Spherical shell of icy objects. Comets that are pulled toward the sun enter new orbits. Nudged by gravity Most pass only once – never return

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Comets

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  1. Comets

  2. Oort Cloud • The Oort cloud surrounds the Sun beyond the Kuiper Belt. • 10,000 to 100,000 AU • 1/5 the way to the nearest star • Spherical shell of icy objects

  3. Comets that are pulled toward the sun enter new orbits. Nudged by gravity Most pass only once – never return A few enter elliptical orbits Cometary Orbits

  4. Comet Halley has a nucleus with a lot of carbon soot and grains of sand mixed with ice. Comet Borrelly shows gases coming from the surface. Comet Nuclei

  5. Tails • As a comet is heated near the sun the ice vaporizes. • The vapors form a coma around the nucleus. • Part of the gas streams away from the sun and forms a tail. • Comet tails can be millions of kilometers long.

  6. Meteor Showers • Many times each year meteors will arrive in a group. • Up to hundreds per hour • Same direction from space • This is called a meteor shower. Gary W. Cronks Comets and Meteor Showers

  7. Radiant • In the 1800’s astronomers realized that meteors from a single shower came from a single point among the stars. • The point origin is called the radiant. • Named for the constellation in which it appears to originate

  8. Repeating Showers • Some meteor showers recur at regular intervals. • Leonids match comet Tempel-Tuttle • Astronomers recognized that this was consistent with a predictable orbit. Orbit of the Leonids

  9. Meteor Storms • As comets pass the sun they can leave a large amount of debris. • If the earth hits this debris it can generate 1000’s of meteors per hour. • This is called a meteor storm.

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