WIKI WORD: COMET |
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Pronunciation: com-et
Definition: a mountain-size chunk of ice and dust that orbits the sun.
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FACTS AND DETAILS ABOUT COMETS:
* Comets are members of our Solar System.
* They travel towards the sun and then past Pluto in an oval shape.
* Comets are generally from two areas, the Oort Cloud or the Kuiper Belt.
* Comets are kicked out of theses areas by the pull of the gravity of another object(i.e a planet a star or another small bodie
* There are two types of comets long period comets and short period comets
* Scientists have seen comets range in size from less than 1 km diameter to as much as 300 km.
* The 300km (called Chiron) does not travel into the inner solar system.
* Comets are composed of ices, dust and rocky debris carried from the early formation of the solar system about 4.5 billion years ago.
* A comet can be observed only in that part of its orbit when it is relatively close to the Sun.
* some comets orbit the sun many times
* some comets crash into the sun
*some make one trip around the sun and never return
*Once the comet nears the Sun, the ices contained in the nucleus turn to gas and plasma, creating a long tail.
Examples of Comets Seen in our Solar System:
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Here is a picture of Haleys Comet
Here is a diagram of a comet
Memory Aid: O rganic compounds make up comets M ethanol and hydrogen are some of the main compounds making up comets E asy to see in the sky because of their tails which leave a trail of gas and dust T hree tails made of dust, ions,and nertral sodium
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SO WHAT??? SECTION:
It is very important to know what a comet is. It is important for us to keep our eye on the sky and increase our knowledge of comets. We know a comet could impact Earth someday. It is important to understand the nature of comets so we can design better methods to protect ourselves from them if there was ever going to be one on a collision course with Earth. Comets can give us hints on how giant planets were formed billions of years ago. Comets are both potential threats and potential research projects. Comets are resources for the water and carbon based molecules necessary to sustain life. In addition an abundant supply of water ice from comets could provide large amounts of liquid H and O, two primary ingredients in rocket fuel. Oooooooo! ;]
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Information: "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet." Wikipedia.
Arnett, Bill. "Comets." www.nineplanets.org. 2003 May 1 . 9 May 2008 <http://www.nineplanets.org/comets.html>.
Freudenrich, Craig. "How Comets Work ." Howstuffworks. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/comet.htm>.
"Frequently Asked Questions." NASA National Aeronautics And Space Administration. NaN undefined NaN. 11 May 2008 <http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/faq/#why2>.
"COMETS." The Internet Encyclopedia Of Science. 11 May 2008
Images:
"http://www.limaastro.org/index.php?option=com_easygallery&act=photos&cid=32&Itemid=34." Lima Astronomical Society. Lima, Ohio USA. 9 May 2008
Definition: "Comets and Meteoroids." SCIENCESAURUS A STUDENT HANDBOOK. 2005. Great Source Education Group, Inc.. 11 May-2008
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| Charlotte M. | 3rd |
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