Comets

Comet 46P/Wirtanen is a short-period comet that orbits the Sun every 5.4 years, making it visible from Earth approximately every 11 years. It was last seen in 2018 and is expected to return in 2024.

Yes, comets are mainly composed of ice, dust, and rock particles. When a comet approaches the Sun, the ice on its surface begins to vaporize, releasing gas and dust that form a bright glowing coma and tail.

They aren't poor reflectors of light. Comet's are somewhat invisible when they are in deep space because they are simply a chunk of rock and ice. But when they near the sun and the ice begins to melt off forming a huge tail, the light from the sun reflects nicely off the comet's ice crystals

The scale of damage potentially caused by an asteroid or comet impacting Earth is known as the Torino Scale. It is used to communicate the potential threat level of near-Earth objects (NEOs) impacting our planet.

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It is highly imporbable that any comet follows a circular orbit. They are much more likely to follow long eliptical orbits in their eccentric wanderings through the inner and outer solar system. Surf the link to our friends at Wikipedia for some pics and more data.

Comets can vary in visibility depending on their size and proximity to Earth. Some comets can be easily seen with the naked eye when they pass close to our planet, while others require binoculars or telescopes to observe. So, it can be easy or hard to see a comet depending on these factors.

A comet's tail is caused by the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun. As the solar wind interacts with the comet's nucleus, it ionizes molecules in the coma (the comet's atmosphere) and causes them to be pushed away from the Sun, forming the tail that points away from the Sun due to pressure from the solar wind.

more circular and closer to being a perfect circle. Comets typically have highly elliptical orbits that can take them far from the Sun and then swing back in close again, while Jupiter's orbit is more stable and predictable due to its strong gravitational influence in the solar system.

Because comets were created about the same time as the Earth.

Some major events that occurred when Halley's comet appeared include its observation by Edmund Halley in 1682, passing near Earth in 1910 causing widespread fear of poisoning from its gas tail, and its most recent appearance in 1986 when multiple spacecraft were sent to study it.

Yes. Some comets die spectacular deaths, like Shoemaker-Levy 9, which crashed into Jupiter. Some just break up and continue in their orbits. We often find "meteor showers" when the orbit of the Earth intersects the orbit of a comet.

No, Halley's Comet was last visible from Earth in 1986 and is expected to return in 2061. It has an orbital period of about 76 years.

The parent company of Comet is Kesa Electricals. Comet operates as a subsidiary under Kesa Electricals, which is a European electrical retail company.

Haley's Comet, officially known as Halley's Comet, is projected to pass closest to Earth in 2061 on its 76-year orbit cycle. The last time Halley's Comet was visible from Earth was in 1986.

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It will next be seen in 2061 because the last time it has been sighted was in 1986 and it comes every 75-76 years so it will be back in 2061.

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D Wade

Mark Twain was born in 1835, the year when Halley's Comet made its closest approach to Earth. Twain famously predicted that he would not die until the next return of the comet. True to his prediction, Twain died in 1910, the year after Halley's Comet's next return.

Comets vaporize when they enter the inner solar system and heat from the Sun causes the frozen gases and dust within the comet to sublimate, turning directly from solid to gas. This process creates a glowing coma of gas and dust around the nucleus of the comet, and sometimes a tail as well.

It doesn't take "frequent" occurrences of a comet impact with earth. One is enough to do it.

If a comet were to enter the atmosphere and fall to the surface, it would be all over, period.

In Super Mario Galaxy 2, the Comet Medal in Yoshi Star Galaxy is located in the section where you ride a Blimp Yoshi after feeding it a Dash Pepper. Look for the Comet Medal while you are navigating this section to collect it.

We don't yet know; nobody has discovered it yet. Actually, NASA scientists have seen at least two comets so far in 2010 that were first discovered as they fell into the Sun! Hopefully, we'll get a chance to see the next one.

The vast majority of comets have orbits that are not well known. Halley's Comet, with a period of only 76 years, is the classic example of a short-period comet. But most comets are "new" to us, not appearing anywhere in the historical records. Note, for example, that Comet Hale-Bopp, which was quite visible in 1997, had last visited the inner solar system 4,200 years before; perhaps the Babylonians or Sumerians noticed it, but none of their records mention it.

Hundreds of quasi-amateur astronomers spend their nights in their observatories, watching the skies, and we will know about the next comet as soon as the IAU receives their e-mail about it.

Astrology is the "science" of predicting the future from events that occur in the heavens (watching stars, comets, planets, etc.). Traditionally comets are considered harbingers of (warnings of future) major events. Halley's comet in 1066 was considered to be the warning of the Normans defeating the Saxons at the Battle of Hastings.

The tail of a comet is longest when the comet is closest to the sun, as the sun's heat causes the comet's icy surface to vaporize, creating a bright glowing tail that streams away from the comet.

Maria Winkelmann, his wife, actually discovered the comet in 1702. It was originally published as the Kirch Comet, where it was assumed that Gottfried made the discovery. Whether this was out of embarrassment at being bested by a female or personal gain is unknown. However, he gave credit of the discovery to Maria in 1710, but it was never named after her, as was normally the custom.