Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Where Do Comets Come From?


The comets we see from Earth come from the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud. The Kuiper Belt is a massive belt of comets and rocky debris in space that begins just outside the orbit of Neptune and extends to approximately fifty-five Astronomical Units from the Sun. Many objects in the Kuiper belt consist of a mixture of frozen water/ammonia/methane and rock. The Oort cloud could have as many as a trillion comets and encompasses most of the solar system. Both regions are remnants of the nebula from which the solar system was formed. It is interesting to note that the tails of a comet are only visible when it passes nearby the Sun. As these "dirty snowballs" heat up and sublimate, producing a tail of gas they points away from the Sun and tail of dust that curves along with the orbital path of the comet. Based on current scientific evidence, it is observed that comets can come from any direction in space and usually have very high orbital eccentricity.
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89 comments:

  1. phosportsJune 1, 2011 at 4:58 AM

    wow thanks for the info. that pic looks amazing

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  2. iceyJune 1, 2011 at 5:43 AM

    so we are basically encircled by rocks.../frozen water.

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  3. gmanJune 1, 2011 at 6:00 AM

    A nice short and sweet but equally apt description of comets. Good job, Mike.

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  4. IntramanJune 1, 2011 at 8:13 AM

    Thanks for the info, astronomy is always fascinating

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  5. bb31June 1, 2011 at 8:58 AM

    cool post. i learned something!

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  6. DaveJune 1, 2011 at 9:12 AM

    I love this kind if stuff. I once watched 2 scientists make a Comet in a black bin bag and it wes really impressive. Lots of crackling and hissing lol.

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  7. ShonaJune 1, 2011 at 1:10 PM

    I know all this ^_^

    but fucking, gorgeous photo!!

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  8. CarlosJune 1, 2011 at 3:05 PM

    Whats your favorite thing about space?
    Mine is space.. :]

    Anyway, nice post. I learned something toay.. :]

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  9. Freddy S.June 1, 2011 at 3:25 PM

    I love everything about space. Very nice blog.

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  10. MariekeJune 1, 2011 at 3:29 PM

    You learn something new every day on blogger :) And that picture is gorgeous! Following :)

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  11. BobJune 1, 2011 at 3:34 PM

    Beautiful pic!

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  12. ThirtySevenJune 1, 2011 at 4:10 PM

    I thought comets came from the bug planet. "Kill 'em all!!" -Johnny Rico

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  13. InfoTubeJune 1, 2011 at 4:18 PM

    Great info, I didn't know anything about it.

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  14. WhitelightJune 1, 2011 at 4:25 PM

    Great post.

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  15. dalexusJune 1, 2011 at 4:37 PM

    beautiful picture

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  16. Jesse CrowsJune 1, 2011 at 4:52 PM

    interesting. ive always wondered myself!

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  17. ChoiJune 1, 2011 at 5:04 PM

    I'm always fascinated by space. It must be wonderful to float in space, without a care in the world...

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  18. OatmealStoutJune 1, 2011 at 5:09 PM

    I haven't seen a comet in ages..

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  19. SeanJune 1, 2011 at 5:15 PM

    I remember reading about this years ago. Nice to read about it again

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  20. Doc_WafflesJune 1, 2011 at 5:33 PM

    Amazing picture and good info.

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  21. NorthernLadJune 1, 2011 at 7:12 PM

    Bloody wonderful picture there, mate. And some nice info to go along with it :)

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  22. TIMMYTHEROBOTJune 1, 2011 at 7:17 PM

    Who knows - space is really some amazing stuff though.

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  23. AlexJune 1, 2011 at 7:17 PM

    space, how you never stop amazing

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  24. Bunny HillJune 1, 2011 at 7:25 PM

    I know where meteorite are from ... space

    Nice pic but how do you see earth from earth

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  25. BartonJune 1, 2011 at 7:26 PM

    cool! i didn't know we had a comet belt in our solar system. kind of reminds me of the asteroid belt that's been protecting our inner solar system all these years

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  26. BobJune 1, 2011 at 7:44 PM

    Interesting. I wonder how long comets can go on for before burning out. Great picture too! Following for more

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  27. ZachJune 1, 2011 at 7:54 PM

    Great info, I truly hope to see a comet personally in my life.

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  28. llllollllllJune 1, 2011 at 8:08 PM

    I just hope we can track these things well enough to spot the dangerous ones before it's too late to do anything.

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  29. AstyJune 1, 2011 at 9:10 PM

    suddenly, out of nowhere..

    a comet crashes into the earth

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  30. AnonymousJune 1, 2011 at 11:09 PM

    this blog is very good mmmm

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  31. CollinBeloinJune 1, 2011 at 11:14 PM

    Beautiful picture and nice facts about the universe, Its pretty amazing out there and comets are so wonderous

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  32. UnknownJune 2, 2011 at 12:39 AM

    beautiful! following :)

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  33. AnonymousJune 2, 2011 at 2:17 AM

    They come from God, who is bored and throw us rocks.

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  34. JayPowerJune 2, 2011 at 3:11 AM

    Diddnt know this about comets! very interesting ;D

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  35. HiFiJune 2, 2011 at 3:47 AM

    A trillion comets sounds daunting.

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  36. TriperJune 2, 2011 at 5:15 AM

    Great picture, also i love background design! i will watch your posts.

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  37. Fr8loversJune 2, 2011 at 5:34 AM

    very interesting post

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  38. Solsby KidJune 2, 2011 at 7:11 AM

    Man that picture is awesome!!

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  39. FranciJune 2, 2011 at 7:16 AM

    It's kinda scary if you think we're surrounded by those things.

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  40. MoobeatJune 2, 2011 at 7:52 AM

    interesting

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  41. Pool FoolJune 2, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    nice post but the image is awesome and terrific

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  42. cezaryJune 2, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    wow, I love astrology, thanks dude!

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  43. charlie tunaJune 2, 2011 at 2:21 PM

    i remember seeing hale bopp when i was a kid. all sorts of epic.

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  44. EndlessJune 2, 2011 at 2:28 PM

    God is playing pinball?

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  45. Shelby FoxJune 2, 2011 at 2:59 PM

    Learned this in astronomy last year. It's insane how big places like the Oort cloud are. Even if the earth was to pass through it, the chances of hitting an asteroid would be so little. Yet there's millions of asteroids in it

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  46. LisaJune 2, 2011 at 3:14 PM

    wow, I love ASTRONOMY, thanks dude!

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  47. AnonymousJune 2, 2011 at 3:22 PM

    I love space, it makes me wonder and wonder!

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  48. Delirium TigerJune 2, 2011 at 3:25 PM

    Saved for wallpaper

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  49. srnajeraJune 2, 2011 at 3:42 PM

    coooL post broh

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  50. DolaJune 2, 2011 at 4:32 PM

    that pic is absolutely incredible =)

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  51. pamphl3tJune 2, 2011 at 4:53 PM

    Interesting article and great picture! followed!

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  52. pamphl3tJune 2, 2011 at 4:54 PM

    Great blog! followed!

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  53. Miyamoto KaryuuJune 2, 2011 at 5:09 PM

    i didnt know that!

    im such a space-lover, everything in space is awesome :D

    thanks for sharing ^^

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  54. brnJune 2, 2011 at 7:03 PM

    that is fascinating!! :0

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  55. JayJune 2, 2011 at 7:03 PM

    Interesting read.

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  56. randomerJune 2, 2011 at 7:57 PM

    Excellent information, I really hope to see a comet someday.

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  57. JbloggerJune 2, 2011 at 8:03 PM

    interesting

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  58. themajesstyJune 2, 2011 at 8:16 PM

    Interesting. I always knew an Oort cloud existed but I never knew what it was, exactly.

    Btw, the gopher in the previous posts is CUTE. I've never seen one outside of Winnie the Pooh. ;)

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  59. JonJune 2, 2011 at 10:18 PM

    I heard comets are ejected from Uranus on a daily basis. All joking aside, nice post. :D

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  60. Skankin_PeteJune 2, 2011 at 10:50 PM

    Thanks for the great info =)

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  61. MalkavianJune 3, 2011 at 2:15 AM

    well i be damned i never did stop to think where do Comets come from. Thx man.

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  62. AdminJune 3, 2011 at 2:41 AM

    Comets? They come from space.
    Qualified genius.

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  63. baka1236June 3, 2011 at 2:50 AM

    nice post m8.

    followed

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  64. Speedy EdJune 3, 2011 at 4:03 AM

    great infomation man, thats all i needed to know about comets :D

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  65. Vince^_^June 3, 2011 at 4:15 AM

    Thanks for info :)

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  66. //LoveJune 3, 2011 at 4:28 AM

    Comments are probably galaxy eating babies excrements

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  67. //LoveJune 3, 2011 at 4:28 AM

    *Comets :S

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  68. BTN Hip HopJune 3, 2011 at 5:05 AM

    astronomy has always boggled my mind

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  69. MoobeatJune 3, 2011 at 5:19 AM

    ive wondered this

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  70. VersionDoubleJune 3, 2011 at 5:50 AM

    more stuff like this! great read, followed!

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  71. DejchJune 3, 2011 at 7:20 AM

    Never crossed my mind to find out where they come from.. but thanks for the info!

    btw like your blog

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  72. EmptyJune 3, 2011 at 8:01 AM

    haha @ Jon. :D

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  73. AnonymousJune 3, 2011 at 8:08 AM

    Thank you for the information, I like comets

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  74. J.B.June 3, 2011 at 8:54 AM

    that's pretty cool, I love stuff I like this. looking at pictures of planets and reading about them

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  75. Kicking RocksJune 3, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    Necroticism comment is hilarious!!!!

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  76. AnonymousJune 3, 2011 at 10:30 AM

    beautiful picture;);)

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  77. T. BanacekJune 3, 2011 at 11:18 AM

    I though God made them! Beautiful picture.

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  78. sp3nnyJune 3, 2011 at 11:57 AM

    very interesting...the space is just amazing

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  79. edJune 3, 2011 at 12:19 PM

    im sure they come from the same place magnets come from

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  80. RageCompeXJune 3, 2011 at 1:06 PM

    Nice picture! also I love your bg!

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  81. KamatacciJune 3, 2011 at 8:15 PM

    Earth was almost hit by a comet last night >_>

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  82. DvallejJune 4, 2011 at 11:02 PM

    very cool pic btw

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  83. Lt NiteJune 4, 2011 at 11:06 PM

    BEautiful picture, and I always assumed comets just came from anywhere, guess not!

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  84. AnonymousJune 4, 2011 at 11:14 PM

    I want to live to see Halley's comet again... Awesome blog by the way, the design looks amazing.

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  85. CatherineJune 4, 2011 at 11:29 PM

    Wow, this is beautiful.

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  86. BleakJune 5, 2011 at 9:27 AM

    Extremely interested in Space and the Kuiper Belt is a very interesting but less discussed part of our Solar System. Voyager 1 is currently floating through the Kuiper Belt as we speak. The furthest man man object from Earth.

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  87. CarmJune 6, 2011 at 8:15 AM

    Cool!

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  88. AtleyJune 6, 2011 at 1:23 PM

    We should send a probe to land on a comet and search it for life. It will be hard because its moving very fast, however I think we can do it!

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  89. The HammerJune 6, 2011 at 2:11 PM

    thanks, I never knew C:

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