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Presented By: Group 2!

Group Members:
• Febbie Chloe B. Ballentes
• Erika Marikit D. Beñasfre
• Monaliza I. Canay
• Princess Majah B. Dimacuta
• Janine Daisy M. Evangelist
• Rihana Mae M. Herodico
. Ashia K. Kamad
• Honeylette U. Patuguial
• Romena Kyle S. Sofio
• Alicia Eman P. Upson
 The Contents:
Facts about
History of Parts of a Comets
Comets Comet

Characteristics Examples of
of a Comet Comets
 Did you know?
Comets are in orbit around the
Sun as are our planets. They're
made of icy counterparts of
asteroids.
 History of Comets!
Comets are truly remarkable objects that have captivated
humanity's imagination for centuries. They are a mixture
of dust, rock, ice, and organic compounds that offer a
glimpse into the formation of our solar system over 4.6
billion years ago.

Comets are believed to have originated in the outer

regions of the solar system, beyond Pluto. As such, they
are thought to be the remnants of the building blocks that
formed the planets we know today. Furthermore, they
may have played a central role in the formation of the
Earth's atmosphere and oceans.
 History of Comets!
Comets have been studied for thousands of years and have
been observed through telescopes since the 16th century.
However, it wasn't until the 20th century that space missions
were sent to conduct close-up studies of these enigmatic
objects.

Today, comets remain a subject of intense scientific study as

they hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of our solar
system's origins. In particular, they may help us understand
the evolution of life on Earth and the formation of our
planetary home.

Overall, comets are fascinating objects that have much to

teach us about our place in the universe. By studying them,
we can deepen our understanding of our past, present, and
future as inhabitants of this remarkable planet.
 Did you know?
The word “comet” comes from the
Greek word “Kometes” which means
long hair. This is because of how a
comet’s tail can look like long flowing
locks of hair.
 Characteristics of a
Comet!
These bodies are made of dust, rocies, organic
compounds, and ice, and have three part: nucleus,
coma, and tail. Ice, in the form of dry ice, water ice, and
various frozen goses, makes up most of the celestial
object.
 Parts of a Comet!
Comets are fascinating celestial bodies that consist of several intriguing parts. At
the heart of a comet lies the nucleus, an icy, solid core that is surrounded by a
magnificent coma. The coma is a cloud of dust and gas that envelops the nucleus and
can stretch for thousands of kilometers in diameter. When the comet approaches the
sun, it heats up, causing the coma to glow and creating a stunning tail that can extend
millions of kilometers. This remarkable tail is formed by the solar wind, which blows
gas and dust particles away from the coma. The parts of a comet work in concert to
create an awe-inspiring phenomenon that continues to captivate astronomers and
stargazers alike.
 Did you know?
Sometimes, comets are referred to as
“dirty snowballs” or “cosmic
snowballs”due to their own nucleuses.
Most comets don't have tails, instead
they remain perpetually frozen in the
outer Solar System.
Comets!
Main parts of a Comet!
Nucleus:

The nucleus is the solid “dirty snowball” core of a comet. It consists mainly of water ice,
other volatile ices (carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, carbon monoxide), silicate
dust, and organic particles (methanol, hydrogen cyanide, ethanol, formaldehyde,
ethane, amino acids, hydrocarbons). A typical comet is a few kilometers in diameter.
The albedo or reflection of a comet’s surface tends to be a bit redder than the color of
the Sun. But, cometary nuclei range in color from very red to slightly blue.
Main parts of a Comet!
Coma:

The coma is the atmosphere that escapes from the nucleus. As the comet nears the Sun,
the solar wind sublimates the volatile ice into vapor, carrying some dust particles
along. Coma color changes according to “seasons” on a comet. As a comet nears the
Sun, its coma sometimes glows green. When a coma is green, it is because ultraviolet
light excites electrons in cyanide/cyanogen (CN) and diatomic carbon (C2), which
emit green light as the electrons return to lower energy states. A comet has a coma,
while an asteroid lacks this feature.
Main parts of a Comet!
Hydrogen envelope:

An invisible cloud of hydrogen surrounds the coma. The hydrogen cloud that
surrounds a comet can be millions of kilometers in diameter, but the neutral hydrogen
gas only appears to instruments and not human eyes.

Dust tail:

Solar radiation blows the dusty vapor of the coma back, forming the dust tail. The
comet’s orbit also affects the tail, so it usually curves back behind the comet’s path.
Usually, the tail is yellow or white in color. The dust tail extends up to 10 million
kilometers behind the nucleus and coma.
Main parts of a Comet!
Ion tail:

Unlike the dust tail, the ion tail points almost exactly away from the Sun. Solar
radiation ionizes volatile gases in the coma and pushes this plasma away from the
comet. The ion tail often has a blue glow from CO+ ions. This tail is narrow and
extends back 100 million kilometers behind the nucleus. The ion tail often has rays and
streamers from particles interacting with the solar wind.
 Did you know?
When a comet approaches the inner
planets, it is warmed by the Sun. It
begins to melt and throws out dust and
gas. This creates a head and a tail. The
tail always points away from the Sun.
Only comets in the inner solar system
can grow their tails.
 Examples of Comets!

Arend-Roland's Comet Biela's Comet Encke's Comet

It was one of the It was originally The comet was first
brightest naked-eye discovered by French observed in 1786 by
comets of the 20th amateur astronomer French astronomer
century. It was discovered Jacques Leibax Pierre Méchain.
photographically on the Montaigne in 1772.
night of November 8–9,
1956, by Sylvain Arend
and Georges Roland at
the Royal Observatory,
Uccle, Belgium.
 Examples of Comets!

Halley's Comet Hale-boop's Comet Hyakutake's Comet

This comet is the most The comet Hale This comet display
famous of all comets. Bopp made its closest for 20 years as Comet
British astronomer approach to Earth for Hyakutake passed just
Edmund Halley was the 4000 years in January 15 million kilometres
first to realise that comets 1997. Hale Bopp is much (9.3 million miles) from
are periodic, after larger and more Earth in March 1996.
observing it in 1682. spectacular than
Halley’s comet.
 Examples of comets

19p/borrelly's Comet Tempel 1's Comet Chiron's Comet

This comet borrelly is Tempel 1 is 6 km in Comet Chiron is a
a periodic comet, which size and hurtles along at small Solar System
was visited by the 10 km (6 miles) per body in the outer Solar
spacecraft Deep Space 1 second. Its orbit has System, orbiting the Sun
in 2001. The comet last been changed by the between Saturn and
came to perihelion on gravity of Jupiter since Uranus. This was
February 1, 2022 and will it was discovered in discovered in 1977 by
next come to perihelion 1867, and it now orbits Charles Kowal.
on December 11, 2028. the Sun every 5 to 6
years.
 Did you know?
We see a comet's coma and tail because
sunlight reflects off the dust (in the coma
and dust tail) and because the energy from
the Sun excites some molecules so that they
glow and form a bluish tail called an ion tail
and a yellow one made of neutral sodium
atoms.
THANK YOU!!