Comets & Asteroids - Solar System Wanderers
Comets and asteroids are remnants from the solar system's formation. Comets are icy bodies that develop tails when near the Sun, while asteroids are rocky bodies mostly found in the asteroid belt.
Comets:
- Icy dust balls ("dirty snowballs")
- Develop coma and tails near Sun
- Tail always points away from Sun
- Periodic (return) vs. one-time visitors
- Famous: Halley, Hale-Bopp, NEOWISE
Asteroids:
- Rocky/metallic bodies
- Mostly in asteroid belt (Mars-Jupiter)
- Some near-Earth asteroids (NEAs)
- Largest: Ceres (dwarf planet)
- Studied by spacecraft
Best Imaging: When bright comet appears (unpredictable)
Requires: Fast response to new discoveries
