Comets: Celestial Wanderers Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What are comets mainly composed of?

  • Magnetic fields and radiation
  • Rock and metal
  • Ice, dust, and volatile gases (correct)
  • Molten lava

    • Why are comets often referred to as 'dirty snowballs' or 'icy dirtballs'?

  • Because they contain only dust particles
  • Due to their composition of water ice, frozen gases, and various organic compounds (correct)
  • Because they have a solid core known as the nucleus
  • Because they are made of pure water ice

    • What causes comets to form a glowing coma and a tail when they approach the Sun?

  • The heat causing the ices to sublimate and release gas and dust (correct)
  • The magnetic field of the Sun
  • The collision with other celestial bodies
  • The gravitational pull of the Sun

    • What is the solid core of a comet known as?

    <p>Nucleus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the glowing cloud of gas and dust that forms around the nucleus of a comet called?

    <p>Coma</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why does the tail of a comet always point away from the Sun?

    <p>Due to the solar wind</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What creates the tail of a comet?

    <p>Solar wind and radiation pressure pushing released gases and dust away from the Sun</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the two types of tails that comets can have?

    <p>Ion tail and dust tail</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When was Halley's Comet last visible from Earth?

    <p>1986</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What makes Hale-Bopp a memorable celestial event?

    <p>It became exceptionally bright and visible to the naked eye in 1997</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do space missions like NASA's Stardust and ESA's Rosetta provide valuable data on?

    <p>Studying cometary nuclei directly</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do comets continue to captivate according to the text?

    <p>Our imaginations as they grace the night sky with their ethereal appearances</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the period of Halley's Comet's last visibility from Earth?

    <p>76 years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of tails can comets have?

    <p>The dust tail and the ion tail</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What contributed to our understanding of the solar system's formation and inspired awe and wonder?

    <p>The periodic journeys of comets around the Sun</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When was Hale-Bopp comet discovered?

    <p>1995</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do space missions like NASA's Stardust and ESA's Rosetta provide valuable data on?

    <p>Cometary nuclei</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What creates the tail of a comet?

    <p>Solar wind and radiation pressure pushing released gases and dust away from the Sun</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What term is used to describe the cloud of gas and dust that forms around the nucleus of a comet?

    <p>Coma</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What mainly composes the solid core of a comet known as the nucleus?

    <p>Water ice and organic compounds</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What causes the tail of a comet to always point away from the Sun?

    <p>Solar wind</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which term is used to describe the glowing tail formed by a comet when it approaches the Sun?

    <p>Tail</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of orbits do comets typically have?

    <p>Elliptical orbits</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What term is often used to refer to comets due to their composition of ice, dust, and volatile gases?

    <p>Dirty snowballs or icy dirtballs</p> Signup and view all the answers

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