homework help
2007-09-20 09:59:57 · 4 answers · asked by chicagoburbsss 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Most astronomers describe the core of a comet as a
"dirty snowball'. They are composed of rocks and mostly ice and usually stay that way unless their orbit takes them towards the sun. As they get closer to the sun and begin to heat up the ice begins to convert to gas and the comet develops a "coma" or cloud around the core and a tail which always points away from the sun due to the solar winds.
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Millions of comets or comet type bodies exist in the Oort Cloud which is approximately 1000 times the distance from the Sun to Pluto or nearly a light year. From time to time these bodies are launched toward the inner solar system by collisions in the cloud
2007-09-20 10:46:42 · answer #1 · answered by ericbryce2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is mostly made of rock dust and ice with some gases as well. When the comet gets close to the sun some of the gases heat up producing the brilliant tail behind it.
2007-09-20 17:09:28 · answer #2 · answered by Xash 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The most important thing is not the mass but the speed may be 150,000 mph.
2007-09-20 17:54:41 · answer #3 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is thought to be mostly hydrogen
2007-09-20 17:02:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋