Types of Comets
Comets are large chunks of ice and dust that orbit the Sun. They are left over from the birth of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. It is believed that comets come from the Kuiper Belt, the Scattered Disk, and the Oort Cloud.
What are Comets?
Image Credit: NASA
Short-Period Comets
Short-period comets are comets that orbit the Sun in less than 200 years. They come from the Kuiper Belt or Scattered Disk. Halley's Comet is a short-period comet, and comes back near Earth about every 76 years. Click the star to see the orbit of Halley's Comet:
What are Short-Period Comets?
Halley's Comet
Image Credit: NASA
Long-Period Comets
Long-period comets are comets that take more than 200 years to orbit the Sun. Sometimes they take thousands or millions of years! They appear rarely, and they come from the Oort Cloud. Comet Hale-Bopp is a long-period comet. It takes Hale-Bopp 2,534 years to orbit the Sun one time.
What are Long-Period Comets?
Comet Hale-Bopp
Image Credit: NASA
Jupiter-Family Comets
Jupiter-family comets have an orbit of less than 20 years. They are influenced by Jupiter's gravity. They come from the Kuiper Belt and the Scattered Disk. Tempel 1 is a Jupiter-family comet. It takes Tempel 1 about five and a half years to orbit the Sun one time.
What are Jupiter-Family Comets?
Tempel 1
Image Credit: NASA
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Dark Comets
Dark comets behave like comets, but they do not have a coma or bright tail like regular comets. They hide in the Asteroid Belt, appearing to be asteroids.
What are Dark Comets?
Illustration of a dark comet
Image Credit: NASA
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Transcript
Types of Comets
Comets are large chunks of ice and dust that orbit the Sun. They are left over from the birth of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. It is believed that comets come from the Kuiper Belt, the Scattered Disk, and the Oort Cloud.
What are Comets?
Image Credit: NASA
Short-Period Comets
Short-period comets are comets that orbit the Sun in less than 200 years. They come from the Kuiper Belt or Scattered Disk. Halley's Comet is a short-period comet, and comes back near Earth about every 76 years. Click the star to see the orbit of Halley's Comet:
What are Short-Period Comets?
Halley's Comet
Image Credit: NASA
Long-Period Comets
Long-period comets are comets that take more than 200 years to orbit the Sun. Sometimes they take thousands or millions of years! They appear rarely, and they come from the Oort Cloud. Comet Hale-Bopp is a long-period comet. It takes Hale-Bopp 2,534 years to orbit the Sun one time.
What are Long-Period Comets?
Comet Hale-Bopp
Image Credit: NASA
Jupiter-Family Comets
Jupiter-family comets have an orbit of less than 20 years. They are influenced by Jupiter's gravity. They come from the Kuiper Belt and the Scattered Disk. Tempel 1 is a Jupiter-family comet. It takes Tempel 1 about five and a half years to orbit the Sun one time.
What are Jupiter-Family Comets?
Tempel 1
Image Credit: NASA
Watch this video
Watch this video
Watch this video
Dark Comets
Dark comets behave like comets, but they do not have a coma or bright tail like regular comets. They hide in the Asteroid Belt, appearing to be asteroids.
What are Dark Comets?
Illustration of a dark comet
Image Credit: NASA
Watch this video