0
The main difference between asteroids and comets is what they are made of. Asteroids are made of metals and rocky material, while comets are made up of ice, dust and some rocky material. Both asteroids and comets were formed early in the history of the solar system, about 4.5 billion years ago. Asteroids formed much closer to the Sun, where it was too warm for ices to remain solid. Comets formed farther from the Sun where ices would not melt. Comets which approach the Sun lose material with each orbit because some of their ice melts and vaporizes to form a tail.
An asteroid is a small, inactive body, made up of rock, carbon or metal, that orbits the Sun.
A comet is also a small, but sometimes active object, made of dirt and ice. Comets are able to be seen by their characteristic tails as they become affected by the heat of the Sun. The tail of a comet is pushed away from the Sun. It does not necessarily trail behind it.
Comets follow highly elliptical orbits, approaching the inner solar system and then retreating to a considerable distance from the Sun. If they stayed close in to the Sun, all the ice would vaporize, and they would cease to be comets. Most asteroids tend to have more nearly circular orbits, although some develop more elongated orbits as a result of gravitational interactions with the planets or other asteroids.
Asteroids have diameters anywhere from a few meters to a few hundred kilometers. Only about 200 asteroids have diameters exceeding 100 kilometers. Most rotate on their axes every 5 to 20 hours. Most asteroids in the solar system are located in the 'asteroid belt', where they orbit the sun in the space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Some smaller asteroids may orbit larger asteroids as satellites. Asteroids are different from planets and moons mainly because of their much smaller size, and irregular shapes.
Arjun Bednar
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoAn asteroid is a chunk of rock, most of which orbit around the Sun and are located between Mars and Jupiter.
A comet is a chunk of dirty ice which goes around the sun from the back of the solar system to the sun, and back to the far reaches of the solar system. A comet leaves a long tail as the ice melts when it gets near the sun.
Wiki User
∙ 6y agoThe main difference between asteroids and comets is what they are made of. Asteroids are made of metals and rocky material, while comets are made up of ice, dust and some rocky material. Both asteroids and comets were formed early in the history of the solar system, about 4.5 billion years ago. Asteroids formed much closer to the Sun, where it was too warm for ices to remain solid. Comets formed farther from the Sun where ices would not melt. Comets which approach the Sun lose material with each orbit because some of their ice melts and vaporizes to form a tail.
An asteroid is a small, inactive body, made up of rock, carbon or metal, that orbits the Sun.
A comet is also a small, but sometimes active object, made of dirt and ice. Comets are able to be seen by their characteristic tails as they become affected by the heat of the Sun. The tail of a comet is pushed away from the Sun. It does not necessarily trail behind it.
Comets follow highly elliptical orbits, approaching the inner solar system and then retreating to a considerable distance from the Sun. If they stayed close in to the Sun, all the ice would vaporize, and they would cease to be comets. Most asteroids tend to have more nearly circular orbits, although some develop more elongated orbits as a result of gravitational interactions with the planets or other asteroids.
Asteroids have diameters anywhere from a few meters to a few hundred kilometers. Only about 200 asteroids have diameters exceeding 100 kilometers. Most rotate on their axes every 5 to 20 hours. Most asteroids in the solar system are located in the 'asteroid belt', where they orbit the sun in the space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Some smaller asteroids may orbit larger asteroids as satellites. Asteroids are different from planets and moons mainly because of their much smaller size, and irregular shapes.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoThe main difference is in their makeup. Asteroids are metallic and contain rocky material, while comets usually consist of ice, dust, and rock.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
How do scientist classifies small bodies in the solar system?
Scientist classifies these objects based on their sizes, shapes, compositions, and orbits. The major categories include dwarf planets, comets, asteroids, and meteoroids.
How is a comet different from an asteroid?
The main difference is that asteroids tend to be dense chunks of solid rock, iron and organic material, whereas comets are less dense and more loose lumps of ice, dirt, rock and organic matter - "dirty snowballs." Asteroids seem to be dead, inert chunks of solid rock, but the ice in comets means that when they get close to the Sun, some of that ice starts to melt and evaporate into space, making the comet grow a fuzzy, thin atmosphere called a coma, which ultimately streams out behind the comet (pushed out by the Solar Wind, a stream of charged particles flowing from the Sun into space) and grows into a tail. Most asteroids are held in a belt between Mars and Jupiter, where they follow roughly circular, planet-like orbits. Comets, on the other hand, tend to come from much further out in the Solar System - either from the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune, or the Oort Cloud much further out - and have very long, thin, highly eccentric and elliptical orbits. Recently though scientists have found the distinction between asteroids and comets isn't all that clear cut. Objects called centaurs, which travel between the orbits of Saturn and Neptune, look like asteroids and have asteroid-like orbits, yet are made of significant amounts of ice and often get fuzzy when they get relatively close to the Sun. Many asteroids in the outer part of the main asteroid belt contain a lot of ice. And many asteroids we can point to seem to be ancient ex-comets whose ice has all melted and evaporated, leaving behind the dust and rock that has compacted into a single mass - an asteroid.
How long does it take for a meteoroid to orbit the sun?
It varies depending on the asteroid's orbit. Most main-belt asteroids have semi-major axes of 2.1 to 3.3 astronomical units (AU), corresponding to orbital periods of about 3 to 6 years. The closest asteroid to the sun has an orbital period of just under 5 months. The farthest asteroids have semi-major axes of about 5.4 AU, corresponding to orbital periods between 12 and 13 years. Beyond this, asteroid-like objects will have compositions more like those of comets.
Did Venus's have moons in the past?
There is no evidence that Venus had a moon
What are some Interplanetary objects?
The number one thing in our solar system is space, or empty vacuum, through which blows the solar wind. The sun is the next largest thing in the solar system, outmassing all the planets, asteroids, comets, and icy debris beyond the orbit of Neptune by a factor of a thousand.Planets, their moons, the Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud, comets, asteroids, and meteroids constitute much of the remainder of the solar system.Our solar system consists primarily of the sun, which accounts for 99% of the solar system's total mass. The remaining 1% are the eight major planets and their moons, numerous minor planets, and other bodies such as comets and asteroids.
How are comet and asteroids alike and different?
Asteroids are rocky and have a relatively circular orbit around the Sun. Comets are icy and have a stretched oval-shaped orbit around the Sun.
Is the Milky Way made of stars asteroids or milk colored comets?
The Milky Way Galaxy is made up of all of the mentioned (with slight adjustments) but the major contributor is stars.
How do scientist classifies small bodies in the solar system?
Scientist classifies these objects based on their sizes, shapes, compositions, and orbits. The major categories include dwarf planets, comets, asteroids, and meteoroids.
How is a comet different from an asteroid?
The main difference is that asteroids tend to be dense chunks of solid rock, iron and organic material, whereas comets are less dense and more loose lumps of ice, dirt, rock and organic matter - "dirty snowballs." Asteroids seem to be dead, inert chunks of solid rock, but the ice in comets means that when they get close to the Sun, some of that ice starts to melt and evaporate into space, making the comet grow a fuzzy, thin atmosphere called a coma, which ultimately streams out behind the comet (pushed out by the Solar Wind, a stream of charged particles flowing from the Sun into space) and grows into a tail. Most asteroids are held in a belt between Mars and Jupiter, where they follow roughly circular, planet-like orbits. Comets, on the other hand, tend to come from much further out in the Solar System - either from the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune, or the Oort Cloud much further out - and have very long, thin, highly eccentric and elliptical orbits. Recently though scientists have found the distinction between asteroids and comets isn't all that clear cut. Objects called centaurs, which travel between the orbits of Saturn and Neptune, look like asteroids and have asteroid-like orbits, yet are made of significant amounts of ice and often get fuzzy when they get relatively close to the Sun. Many asteroids in the outer part of the main asteroid belt contain a lot of ice. And many asteroids we can point to seem to be ancient ex-comets whose ice has all melted and evaporated, leaving behind the dust and rock that has compacted into a single mass - an asteroid.
What is the major similarity and the major differences between cellular respiration and photosynthesis?
That it have cell
What are the major linguistic differences between Kanto-ben and Kansai-ben?
There are many differences between Kanto-ben and Kansai-ben that include differences in words, sound differences and stress pattern differences.
What are the major differences between a bird and a hamster?
One can fly...
What are the major differences between ancient California and Mesopotamia?
isk
What are the major differences between PDLC and SDLC?
See the graph in the related link. It clearly separates out the differences between PDLC and SDLC.
The major differences between the US and Nevada constitution?
theres lot of differences but it is that Nevada have more power between everybody and notion
How long does it take for a meteoroid to orbit the sun?
It varies depending on the asteroid's orbit. Most main-belt asteroids have semi-major axes of 2.1 to 3.3 astronomical units (AU), corresponding to orbital periods of about 3 to 6 years. The closest asteroid to the sun has an orbital period of just under 5 months. The farthest asteroids have semi-major axes of about 5.4 AU, corresponding to orbital periods between 12 and 13 years. Beyond this, asteroid-like objects will have compositions more like those of comets.
Did Venus's have moons in the past?
There is no evidence that Venus had a moon
