What comets tell us about the formation of our planet - Earth.com

What comets tell us about the formation of our planet

01-02-2021


Today’s Video of the Day from the European Space Agency features cometary scientist Charlotte Götz who studies comets, their formation, and how they interact with the space around them. 

Made up of loosely packed dust and ice, these space objects have very low density. Götz says that if you had a really large bathtub, a comet could actually float in it.

Comets move through space at about 1,000 times faster than you can drive a car, traveling at one to 100 kilometers per second.

Götz explains that comets are essentially the leftovers of the formation of our solar system, which means they can tell the story of what this formation period looked like. 

Video Credit: ESA 

By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

 

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