Comets
In the past, because comets look fuzzy, they've been called _________________.
"hairy stars"
Short period comets are defined as comets with an orbital period less than __________________________.
200 years
In the detailed photos of Comet Halley, what percentage of light was reflected from the nucleus?
4%
On the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the Norman invasion in the year 1066, which comet is shown?
Comet Halley
Which comet was seen by Phil Plait, in 2007, very near the Sun in broad daylight?
Comet McNaught
Which king, in 1066, considered the sighting of a comet as a good omen?
King William I
In 2004, what complex molecules were detected in the coma of comet Wild 2?
amino acids
The "ion tail", produced by the solar wind acting on ionized gas, points _____________________.
away from the sun
The dust stream from a comet points __________________________.
behind the comet in its orbit
What is the gaseous cloud around a comet called?
coma
Comets, being composed of frozen gases, rocks, gravel, and dust, are often called ________________________.
dirty snowballs
Unlike asteroids, which are mostly rock, comets are a more balanced mixture of _______________________.
ice and rock
Which word best describes the surface of comets?
inhomogeneous
When gas molecules emitted by a comet lose electrons, they are said to be ____________________________.
ionized
The solid part of a comet is called the __________________.
nucleus
Comets that take a path directly into the sun are called _________________.
sundivers
As comets progress through their elliptical orbits, they are heated mostly by ________________________________.
the sun