Comets

Visitors from the Unknown

Mr. K., NASA/GRC/LTP
Edited: Ruth Petersen

Preliminary Activities 1. Word Activity: Look up the word COMET in a dictionary. What is the origin of the word? Who were the people who made up this name? What did they believe about their world? 2. Science Activity: Use the www or other references to learn about the structure and composition of comets. What is the primary ingredient of most comets?

3. History Activity: In 1910, the earth actually passed through the tail of Halleys comet. Use the www or other references to learn about what happened. What did people think was going to happen? How did they prepare? What really happened? (Hint: What are comet pills?)

Formation of the Solar System It began with a Nebular Gas Cloud From which developed Proto-Sun & Planets From which came the Sun, Planets, & Debris Which finally cleared out to leave just the Sun & Planets (and their moons, etc.) Rocky Matter
(Source of craters)

Debris

(Source of comets)

Icy Matter

Rocky Matter ...

What do you see happening here?

What do you think that the end result will be? Can we see evidence of this kind of bombardment today?

Icy Matter ...

Jan Oorts Cometary Cloud

Most comets that we see today are believed to have come from the Oort cloud.

Why do you suppose they leave the cloud in the first place?

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Could our sun have a dark companion?

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Some scientists who think Yes have actually named the star Nemesis!
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From the Oort Cloud

Why do you suppose the tail always points What areaway head and tail made of? the from the sun?

Life History" of a Comet

The SOHO Twins

Structure of a Comet Toward Sun

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Tail

CanThe head the headare made of this you find and tail and tail of comet? that direction is the the materialsWhich evaporate fromsun? Which direction is the solar pressure? tiny solid nucleus.

Head

Solar Pressure

Coma May be 1000s of km

Nucleus - Few 10s of km

The Head of a Comet

The Tail of a Comet

1. Eruptive jets may result in pieces of Eruptive the nucleus - big and small - being Jets broken off and thrust into space! Solid Mass 2. As the icy matrix evaporates, other loosely bound rocky material is liberated. 3. So what do you think happens to all these solid pieces - the Cometary Debris? The Nucleus of a Comet

Have you ever watched a meteor shower?

Do you ever wonder why they recur every year at the same time?
Did you know that there is a connection between meteor showers and cometary debris?

Can you describe the connection?

Cometary debris travels with the comet along its orbit.

The debris. appears to fall out of the . . . sky - similar to driving your car in the .. rain!
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. . comets orbit .collide with the . . Planets crossing the

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debris.

Now...Can you suggest a connection between meteorites and dinosaurs?

What can you say about mass extinctions in general?

Large objects are believed to rain down to Earth periodically. Major impacts, such as this one, may cause drastic changes in life on Earth, including mass extinction of species.

Perhaps periodic disturbances in the Oort cloud - as by the passage in & out of a Nemesis star in an eccentric, long period orbit - result in periods of increased cometary activity throughout the solar system. Increased activity results in more large-scale collisions.

Evidence?
Here are Luis and Walter Alvarez at the now famous KT boundary.
Tertiary - No Dinosaurs

Clay layer with Iridium.

Cretaceous - Dinosaurs

Is this where the meteorite that changed dinosaur history struck the Earth? Magnetic map showing location of buried crater.

Comets come in all shapes and sizes. One might occur at any time. Remember to watch your local newspaper, check the www, or contact your local observatory or planetarium to find out when the next comet will pass close by the Earth.
Remember: Watch the skies!!!

Follow-Up Activities 1. Now that you know about the dinosaurs, check out the key word, TUNGUSKA, for an account of a 20th century impact in a little know region on Earth! May we still expect such impacts to happen today? 2. How would you prepare if you knew that a major comet or asteroid were going to hit the Earth?

3. Since comets are mostly water, how might we use them in the future to modify the climate of a planet such as Mars? (Hint: Use the key word, TERRAFORMING, to get started.) Most important of all: Remember to be safe and happy!

Web Sites for Further Exploration

http://ccf.arc.nasa.gov/dx/archives/planets/comets/comets.html http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/cometfact.html http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/ http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/comets.html http://www.mtwilson.edu/Tour/Museum/Exhibit_H/m_halley.html http://www.anu.edu.au/Physics/solarsystem/eng/comet.htm#movie http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/index.html http://seasky.org/sky3d1.html

joseph.c.kolecki@grc.nasa.gov