I have yet to see a comet in my life. Before my life is over, I hope to see one. I don'twant to see one by myself... I would like to see one with someone I love...oh boy, am I sentimental today.
Early humans believed that comets were portents that presaged historic events. As outlaws of the sky that do not follow the familiar patterns of the stars and planets, comets and their long, wispy tails have long been of special interest to astronomers. At one time they were believed to resemble aggregates of ice pebbles akin to flying shoals of gravel. US astronomer Fred Whipple proposed that they were conglomerates of ice and dust in the mid 20th century and flybys of Halleys comet and Comet Borelly confirmed that those comets did indeed look like dirty snowballs, but data from Borelly showed that it has a hot, dry surface, so scientist are unsure on the amount of ice within a comet.
A comet's signature tail is created by the same force that shapes auroras: the solar wind excites the ice and dust in a comet and creates a tail that always points away from the sun.
Who knows if and when I will get to see a comet...
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1 comment:
I have faith that someday you WILL see a comet.
And I miss you. Just thought I'd tell you. ^_^
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