How Comets FlyPosted by monsterguide
How Comets Fly
The chemical compositions of comets are of frozen gases such as water vapour, methane and carbon dioxide. The dust particles of the comet produce its tail. This happens when it approaches the sun. The heat of the sun induces the behavior of the comet. The core of the comet is the nucleus that is made up of hard rock or ice.
Comets would fly away from Oort cloud or the Kuiper Belt. Comets would typically stay and be dormant in these two locations for a very long time. They come close or collide with other comets as they swirl around. A shift in their direction may happen once this occurs. They may even be thrown into a new orbit into the inner parts of the Solar System.
Comets are known to be from the Oort Cloud or the Kuiper Belt. Comets that originate from Oort Cloud have orbital periods. These are quite long. These comets tend to enter into the solar system from various directions.
Comets from the Kuiper Belt live and orbit for shorter periods of time. Kuiper Belt is a place in the solar system located a bit further from Neptune’s orbit.
As a comet escapes the Oort Cloud or the Kuiper Belt and enters the Solar system, it would mostly likely approach the Sun. It would go near the orbits of the planet Mars and the planet Jupiter.
A comet would be formed in between the orbits of these two planets. This is called the coma. It means a nebulous envelope.
A tail would grow from the comet as it nears the Sun. This tail would point in an opposite direction to the Sun. The tail and the coma move that way due to the solar radiation pressure. The tail may disappear but the comet may grow another one. This continues as long as the comet has enough dust particles.
Comets may die as they orbit the warmer regions of the Solar system. The gas particles may be used up in its orbiting motion. It will be diminished by the Sun’s radiation.
Comets will end up as bits of rocks floating in space. It may also melt away and vanish completely.