We love to see them in the sky, but… What are comets?
Comets are fascinating celestial objects that have captivated mankind for centuries. These icy bodies orbit the sun and have a distinctive bright tail that makes them easily recognizable. But, what exactly are comets?
A comet is a celestial body made mostly of ice, dust, and rock. It is important to emphasize that, unlike the planets, these stars do not have a circular orbit around the sun. Instead, they have an elliptical orbit that takes them from the outer reaches of the solar system to the region near the sun.
As a comet approaches the sun, its ice begins to evaporate and a cloud of gas and dust forms around the comet’s nucleus. This cloud, called a coma, can be as big as Earth. As the comet continues to approach the sun, solar radiation and the solar wind push the coma and tail back, forming the characteristic cometary tail.
However, They have a limited life span. As a comet gets closer to the sun and loses ice and dust, its nucleus gets smaller and smaller. Eventually, the nucleus becomes so small that the comet is no longer visible.
These celestial bodies have been studied for centuries, and scientists have learned a lot about them. They have provided important information about the formation of the solar system, and data obtained from space missions to comets such as Halley’s Comet have helped scientists better understand its composition and evolution.
Halley’s Comet is one of the most famous celestial objects in the solar system due to its periodic appearance every 76 years. One of the most curious sightings of the comet occurred in 1910, when astronomers predicted that the Earth would pass through the comet’s tail.
Many people were worried about what would happen when the Earth passed through the comet’s tail, as it was believed at the time that the comet’s tail contained poisonous toxic gases. Some people even sold their homes and belongings before the event.
However, when the Earth passed through the tail of Halley’s Comet in May 1910, nothing dramatic happened. Instead, many observers reported that the night sky became particularly bright, with a large number of shooting stars visible.
This sighting of Halley’s Comet served as an important lesson on the nature of comets and their impact on Earth. Today, astronomers continue to study Halley’s Comet and its impact on our solar system, looking forward to its next appearance in the night sky in the year 2061.