2.2 Comets & Meteors Flashcards
When do comets develop tails?
In the course of their highly/elliptical orbits around the sun.
Where does the ion tail point?
Away from the sun.
Where does the dust tail point?
Away from the direction the comet is moving in.
What is a short term comet?
A comet that has a period of less than 200 years and originate from the Kuiper Belt.
Where does a long period comet originate from?
Oort Cloud.
What is the most common gas found in an ion tail?
Carbon monoxide.
How are ion tails ionised?
Solar wind.
How is a dust tail produced?
Radiation.
What is a fireball?
A meteor with a magnitude of -3 or more.
Why at certain times of the year is there a dramatic increase in the number of meteors observed?
Because the Earth passes through a meteor stream left in the wake of the comet. The increased number of dust particles entering and burning up in the atmosphere causes a meteor shower.
