Comets and Meteors

The universe is still a mysterious place, and there are many living and non-living things that inhabit it. The planets and the stars are just some of them. There are also comets and meteors, and although these terms are fairly well-known, an average person’s knowledge is usually restricted to knowing its definition only.

Learn about Comets and Meteors without Leaving Home

You can learn a lot of important details about comets and meteors without having your own Hubble Telescope or visiting NASA. All you need is a little time and effort…and maybe a good pair of binoculars if you’re lucky enough to find one of them approaching Earth.

Comets are basically space objects made of rock and ice and commonly revolving around the sun. Comets and meteors are similar in appearance but comets have more distinctive tails, and their tails are in fact what gave it its name (in Greek, comet means having long hair). Radiation from the sun is what causes comets to have gaseous tails. 

Comets travel in orbits and this is why they can be seen at the same time and place every once in a while. The most famous of all comets is Halley’s Comet. Its last appearance was in 1986 and its next appearance, based on its orbital cycle, would come seventy-six years after. Many people in that year were greatly disappointed about the blurry appearance of Halley’s Comet in 1986. Its blurry appearance can be possibly attributed to the increase of air pollution and the inordinate amount of dust surrounding it.

At times, people may be able to see comets that appear to have two tails. Remember that a comet’s tail is caused by radiation from the sun. In some events, however, radiation causes gaseous particles to move to one direction and for the dust particles of the comet to another, consequently creating a double-tail appearance.

Meteors are better known as falling or shooting stars. Because of how they appear in the sky, people in the early days thought of them as such and legends contributed to making them serve as a means for a person’s wish to become true. The reason behind their bright and trail-blazing appearance is due to the friction it endures upon entering the atmosphere of the earth.

If, on the other hand, the Earth happens to encounter or come across a stream of meteoroids that forms part of the tail of a comet, this will lead to a meteor rain or shower. This phenomenon derives its name from the constellation that it appears to be originating from. As meteor showers are predictable astronomical occurrences, you can search for the necessary data in space centers to know when you can prepare in advance for such a sighting.

One famous example of a meteor shower is called the Tears of Lawrence. Although it’s known in the scientific world as the Perseids, having come from that particular constellation, it was known as the Tears of Lawrence because it coincided with the festival of St. Lawrence, celebrated usually at the tenth of August.

Movies often feature disasters of a global scale resulting from the impact of an incredibly large meteor. Although this incident may seem extraordinary, you should be aware that it is possible for it to happen. It is however tragic that minimal financial aid has been awarded to efforts that will help reduce its impact if and when it happens.

You’ll be happy to know, however, that there are only two cases of a person being hit by a meteor and for which ample documentary proof has been provided.

When a meteor actually hits the ground, this will cause a crater to appear before dissolving into thousands of pieces. If you ever have the chance of getting hold of meteorites, you can expect to sell them from anywhere between two to thirty dollars per gram.

Before ending your lesson about comets and meteors, you should also know that this astronomical duo actually belongs to a triplet system. Asteroids are often lumped together with comets and meteors and it would do you good then to know about them as well.

To know more about comets and meteors, consider viewing photos and reading more articles from the Internet. And if you have time, do check out the schedules provided by space centers to find the best time you can watch any of these three astronomical phenomenon live.