SOLAR SYSTEM

UNIVERSE

COMETS

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Scientists once referred to comets as ____ .
A
ice balls
B
hairy stars
C
flying space rocks
D
None of the above
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The comet is still bright and big; through a telescope the fuzzy head (the property that gave comets the nickname “hairy stars") is about the same size as the full Moon, and it’s really easy to spot in binoculars.

Detailed explanation-2: -But when a comet gets close to the Sun, it starts heating up. Eventually, the ice begins to turn to gas. This can also cause jets of gas to burst out of the comet, bringing dust with it. The gas and dust create a huge, fuzzy cloud around the nucleus called the coma.

Detailed explanation-3: -What are comets? Comets have been called “dirty snowballs.” They are small celestial objects, made of ice, gas, dust, and a small amount of organic material, that orbit our Sun. There are about 1000 known comets and more are discovered each year.

Detailed explanation-4: -The term “comet” derives from the Greek aster kometes, which means “long-haired star"—a reference to the tail.

Detailed explanation-5: -Maria Mitchell was an American astronomer, first to discover a comet.

There is 1 question to complete.