Kids ask
Captain Comet
Dear Captain Comet,"What is the difference between a comet, an asteroid, and a meteorite?
Mike, age 11
Dear Mike,
A comet is a small icy body that orbits the sun in large highly elliptical orbits. Comets spend most of their time in the cold outer solar system, but occasionally travel into the warm inner solar system. They consist of very small rocky cores, surrounded by a coma of ice, gas, and dust. When a comet approaches the sun, its heat causes the gas and ice to vaporize and form a bright tail.
An asteroid is usually a small rocky body, about 10 to 1000 km in diameter. Most asteroids orbit the sun between Mars and Jupiter in an area called the asteroid belt. Most asteroids are made of silicate rocks and minerals with a little metal, but some are mostly metal.
A meteorite is an ancient primitive rock, most of which come from asteroids. Meteorites represent the building blocks of planets and, in some cases, life.
If you would like to learn more about comets, visit our comet section of our web site at: http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/comets/
Thanks for writing,
Captain Comet
Comet Hale-Bopp - Hawaii - 3/97
Dear Captain Comet,I've been study about comets in school this year. I think comets are very cool. But, why are comets so important?
Sue, age 12
Dear Sue,Comets are the oldest, most primitive bodies in the Solar System. They are remnants preserved from the earliest days of star and planetary formation. From what scientists know of their composition, comets may provide clues about the building blocks of life and of our Solar System. The impact of a large comet could cause major changes in the climate of a planet or a moon.
To learn more about why comets are important, check-out this section of our web site: http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/comets/comets.html.Keep those e-mails coming in,
Captain Comet
