THE MOST FAMOUS OF ASTRONOMICAL OBJECTS; THE COMET

THE MOST FAMOUS OF ASTRONOMICAL OBJECTS; THE COMET More than 30 years Halley’s comet has been falling inward toward the SUN, the solar gravity pulling it even faster along its orbit. AMAZING QUALITES OF HALLEY’S COMET [A] IT has made 34 appearances [B] FIRST noted 467bc and last seen 1986 [C] IT showed-up in England during Norman CONQUEST of 1066 [D] HERALDED the birth of Christ in 11 BC [E] Great Britain defeat France in 1759; foundation of British empire Halley’s comet was seen [F]IT is most famous of all astronomical objects [G] HALLEY comet follows 76 years orbit, approaching the sun within the orbit of Venus and retreating more than 3 billion miles beyond the orbit of Neptune, 8th planet. It was closest to the earth in February 1986 [H] Last appearance was in 1986 and first sighted by scientists in 1909 The comet is made of the head or coma and the tail, with gases coming out of the tail. The gases coming out was considered poisonous and caused suffocation but the tail of the comet is the nearest something that can come to nothing and still be anything at all. The gases are absolutely harmless. 1910’s comet involved the famous America writer [Samuel Clemens] A.K.A Mark Twain. Clemens was born in the year of comet of 1835, and he predicted he would die during its next visit, which actually happened he died in that year of its next visit. There are billions of comets Pluto has the largest number of comet and is the most distant planet. The last few of months of the comet’s journey does the sun show a visible disk, as the comet draws near, the sun grows ever larger, hotter and brighter. Comet is composed of ices and gases surrounding a small core of rock. As the comet approaches the sun these ices are boiled off by solar radiation. The comet becomes a vast, luminous head or coma around its rock core, and streaming back from this coma is a long tail of brilliant gases. The Greek meaning of comet is long-haired of beautiful streaming tail. The comet’s tail is the most distinctive feature, no other object in the sky can compare with a brilliant comet. The tail may stream out for a hundred million miles and more, forced away from the sun by the pressure of solar radiation. FORMATIONS OF COMET APPEARANCES; many comets once they make their closest approach, recede into the outer solar system, not to be seen for another million years or more. But the orbits of some are changed by the gravitational pulls of the planets; these comets are forced into shorter orbits with periods of only a few years or decades. HALLEY’S COMET Halley’s comet is one such short term comet, it was discovered in the 17th century. EDMUND HALLEY USED Isaac Newton UNIVERSAL GRAVITATIONAL LAW to explain how the same force controlled the paths of planets, stars, and apple falling from the trees. 1456, 1532, 1607, and 1682 comets seemed to follow identical paths in the sky. So, it is the same one comet and not four comets. If this is true, Halley said, then the next comet should return again in 1758, in 1758 Halley was 85years the comet returned as predicted by Halley, so it is since called Halley’s comet. The three wise men saw this comet during Christ birth. TYPES OF COMETS [1] The daylight comet; when a comet nears the sun and forms a coma and tail. Halley’s comet brightness has reduced over the years. The brightest comets of all are those that have entered the inner solar system for the first time so that all of their gases are still present. One such “non-periodic comets” so-called because its length of orbit was not established - stole some of the thunder from the Halley’s comet in 1910. The daylight comet appeared several months before Halley’s and was so brilliant it stood out against the daytime sky [thus its name, daylight comet. The most spectacular comet of this century. It follows a long orbit so it takes millions of years. [2] COMET KOHOUTEK IT follows an orbit of quarter of million years. Suppose to be very bright and disappeared it is now rocky composition and no tail. [3] ENCKE’S COMET Short orbit and period. It takes 3 and half years, receding no further than the orbit of Jupiter. All its gases and ices are boiled away and only the rocky core is left. [4] BIELA’S COMET It was first sighted in 1772, by 1846 it had split into two and disappeared forever. Halley’s comet may suffer the same fate. It is now like gravel-like remains.