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Chapter 12: Problem 19

Aside from their periods, short- and long-period comets differ because a. short-period comets orbit prograde, while long-period comets orbit in either sense. b. short-period comets contain less ice, while long-period comets contain more. c. short-period comets do not develop ion tails, while longperiod comets do. d. short-period comets come closer to the Sun at closest approach than long- period comets do.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Option (a)

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Comet Periods

First, note that short-period comets have orbits that take less than 200 years to complete, while long-period comets have orbits that take more than 200 years.
02

Analyzing Orbital Directions

Option (a) states that short-period comets orbit prograde (same direction as the planets) and long-period comets can orbit in either direction. This is correct since most short-period comets come from the Kuiper Belt and orbit in the same direction as the planets, while long-period comets come from the Oort Cloud and can orbit in any direction.
03

Comparing Ice Content

Option (b) mentions ice content differences. There is no specific evidence that short-period comets have less ice compared to long-period comets. Hence, this option is not correct.
04

Development of Ion Tails

Option (c) suggests that short-period comets do not develop ion tails, while long-period comets do. This is incorrect as both types of comets develop ion tails when they are close enough to the Sun.
05

Closest Approach to the Sun

Option (d) claims short-period comets come closer to the Sun at perihelion than long-period comets do. This is not necessarily true because perihelion distances vary.
06

Conclusion

Option (a) is the best answer since it correctly describes the main difference between short- and long-period comets regarding their orbital directions.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Short-Period Comets
Short-period comets are comets with orbits that take less than 200 years to complete around the Sun.
They originate mainly from the Kuiper Belt, a region beyond the orbit of Neptune filled with icy bodies.
This region is relatively close in astronomical terms.
Short-period comets usually orbit in the same direction as the planets, which is known as prograde.
Being closer to the inner solar system, these comets are more predictable in their orbits and can be observed multiple times.
Because of their frequent visits, much of what we know about comets has been learned from short-period comets.
Long-Period Comets
Long-period comets have orbits that take more than 200 years to complete around the Sun.
These comets generally come from the distant Oort Cloud, a spherical shell of icy bodies surrounding the outermost part of our solar system.
They can approach the Sun from any direction.
Their long and unpredictable orbits make them harder to predict and observe.
When they do encounter the inner solar system, these rare visits often present a spectacular sight.
Given their long periods, these comets may bring new, pristine material from the early solar system each time they are observed.
Orbital Directions
Cometary orbits can be either prograde or retrograde.
Prograde orbits mean that the comet is moving in the same direction as the planets in the solar system.
Short-period comets typically follow prograde orbits.
This alignment makes their paths more consistent with the motion of the planets, resulting in fewer disruptive gravitational encounters.
Long-period comets, however, can have orbits in any direction, including retrograde, which means they move opposite to the planets' direction.
This can lead to more unpredictable behavior and trajectories.
Understanding these orbital patterns is crucial in predicting comet paths and identifying potential close approaches to Earth.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

T/F: Meteorites are often found on the ice in Antarctica.

Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) are actually comet nuclei. Why do they not display comae and tails? a. Most of the material has already been stripped from the objects. b. They are too far from the Sun. c. They are too close to the Sun. d. The comae and tails are pointing away from Earth, behind the object.

Ceres has a diameter of \(975 \mathrm{km}\) and a period of about 9 hours. What is the rotational speed of a point on the surface of this dwarf planet?

What are the differences between a comet and a meteor in terms of their size, distance, and how long they remain visible?

A cubic centimeter of the air you breathe contains about \(10^{19}\) molecules. A cubic centimeter of a comet's tail may typically contain 200 molecules. Calculate the cubic volume of comet tail material that would hold \(10^{19}\) molecules.
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