UNIVERSE
COMETS
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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true
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false
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Either A or B
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None of the above
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Detailed explanation-1: -We can only see comets when they have visible tails and comas when they are near the Sun. However, we can trace their orbits into the outer Solar System to determine their place of origin. We have found that some comets appear to originate in the Kuiper Belt, the same region inhabited by Pluto and the KBOs.
Detailed explanation-2: -Given the estimated rate of 10 comets crossing Earth’s orbit per year, that results in a mean time between long-period comet impacts of 45 million years.
Detailed explanation-3: -Comets also create meteoroids as they orbit the sun and shed dust and debris. When a meteoroid enters Earth’s upper atmosphere, it heats up due to friction from the air. The heat causes gases around the meteoroid to glow brightly, and a meteor appears.