<p>Why the sharp distinction between short-period (P) comets of less-than-200-year orbits and those (C) with even slightly longer ones?</p>
<p>To explore the possibility that it has to do with stability, I will first need to ask: <strong>Are short-period comets more stable (in their orbits) than long-period ones?</strong></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-12T21:52:19.483Z
Your question title is quite different from your question body. What question do you actually want to ask?
planetmaker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-13T01:30:45.780Z
I've made an edit to address planetmaker's concern. I think you can break this into multiple questions. This one lays the groundwork, hopefully a "stability" vs period (or semimajor axis) plot can be ascertained. Then if there is or isn't a short to long difference in "stability" you can decide where to go next. It will be interesting to find out what "stability" means here. Comments can have interactions with other bodies and change their orbital elements to a new period, after a single close interaction or millions of distant interactions. Is that "instability"? Or do you mean "kicked out"?
uhoh
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2023-04-13T02:10:51.103Z
Why do you claim there's a sharp distinction? Do you have any relevant references for that?
PM 2Ring
<orbit><gravity><comets><newtonian-gravity><gravitation>
Are short-period comets more stable (in their orbits) than long-period ones?
Kurt Hikes
# Are short-period comets more stable (in their orbits) than long-period ones?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-04-12)

Why the sharp distinction between short-period (P) comets of less-than-200-year orbits and those (C) with even slightly longer ones?

To explore the possibility that it has to do with stability, I will first need to ask: **Are short-period comets more stable (in their orbits) than long-period ones?**

**Tags:** orbit, gravity, comets, newtonian-gravity, gravitation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Your question title is quite different from your question body. What question do you actually want to ask?  
> **username_2**: I've made an edit to address username_1's concern. I think you can break this into multiple questions. This one lays the groundwork, hopefully a "stability" vs period (or semimajor axis) plot can be ascertained. Then if there is or isn't a short to long difference in "stability" you can decide where to go next. It will be interesting to find out what "stability" means here. Comments can have interactions with other bodies and change their orbital elements to a new period, after a single close interaction or millions of distant interactions. Is that "instability"? Or do you mean "kicked out"?  
> **username_3**: Why do you claim there's a sharp distinction? Do you have any relevant references for that?  

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