can you tell me the differance between a meteor and a comet
2006-09-28 10:19:43 · 8 answers · asked by trisha 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
the answer with the "orbit" reference is pretty good..brief and correct. Comets are periodic travelers about our solar system that have one of 2 orbits, one that brings them around every year and the other, they are discovered, show up, leave and never come back. It is not that I do not know the difference between a hyperbole and parabole orbit, it is that I do not know how to spell them. Meteors are chunks of rock that fly through space and when captured by our gravity, fall into our atmosphere. The friction heats them and we see a meteor or shooting star. If they are large enough and strikje the ground they are meteorites. Comets are frozen chunks that glow from the energy of the sun, emitting particles that form "tails" and these tails always point away from the sun because of this. Meteors have trails, not tails. Sometimes you may see a meteor blow up and then it is called a "bolide". I would have called it a meteor that blows up !
2006-09-29 02:32:34 · answer #1 · answered by orion_1812@yahoo.com 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
:
A comet is a 'dirty snowball' which orbits the Sun, and (almost) never enters the Earth's atmosphere. The long tail is caused by the Sun melting the comet as it passes near the Sun.
A meteor is a grain of dust that enters the Earth's atmosphere. The brightness is caused by the friction between the dust and the air (it's travelling VERY fast).
The main difference observationally is that comets last for a very long time, whereas a meteor will last for a few seconds.
Hope that helps.
2006-09-28 10:46:38 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi. When you see a meteor, it is in the atmosphere burning up. Comets are visible from millions of miles away and shine by reflected sunlight.
2006-09-28 11:08:38 · answer #3 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A meteor is rock. A comet is ice. I think that's how it goes.
2006-09-28 10:27:07 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Meteor are rocks that enter the atmospher of Earth.
Comet is usually ice (and rock?) that orbits the sun.
Mike Honeycutt
2006-09-28 10:24:04 · answer #5 · answered by mahoneycuttnc2002 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
meteor is a biigger comet
2006-09-28 10:30:49 · answer #6 · answered by khojibaabaa 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
simple...
COMET --- does have an orbit
METEOR --- does not have an orbit
2006-09-28 12:49:20 · answer #7 · answered by kwing-kwang 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
nothing until it hits us
2006-09-28 12:02:46 · answer #8 · answered by gary c 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋