Comets and Their Tails

Description: Comets and Their Tails Quiz
Number of Questions: 15
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Tags: astronomy comets tails
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What is the primary component of a comet's nucleus?

  1. Rock

  2. Ice

  3. Dust

  4. Gas


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

The nucleus of a comet is primarily composed of ice, along with some rock and dust.

What is the name of the bright, glowing region surrounding a comet's nucleus?

  1. Coma

  2. Tail

  3. Nucleus

  4. Dust cloud


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The coma is the bright, glowing region surrounding a comet's nucleus, which is caused by the sublimation of ice and the release of gas.

What is the primary factor that causes a comet to develop a tail?

  1. Solar wind

  2. Radiation pressure

  3. Gravitational pull

  4. Magnetic fields


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The solar wind, a stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun, interacts with the comet's coma and ionizes the gas, creating the comet's tail.

Which of the following is not a type of comet tail?

  1. Ion tail

  2. Dust tail

  3. Plasma tail

  4. Gas tail


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Comets have two main types of tails: ion tails and dust tails. Plasma tails are a type of ion tail, while gas tails are not a recognized type of comet tail.

What is the name of the famous comet that is known for its long, bright tail and is visible from Earth every 76 years?

  1. Halley's Comet

  2. Hale-Bopp Comet

  3. Hyakutake Comet

  4. Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Halley's Comet is a famous comet that is visible from Earth every 76 years and is known for its long, bright tail.

What is the approximate orbital period of Halley's Comet?

  1. 76 years

  2. 100 years

  3. 150 years

  4. 200 years


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Halley's Comet has an orbital period of approximately 76 years, meaning it takes about 76 years to complete one orbit around the Sun.

What is the name of the spacecraft that successfully landed on the nucleus of a comet in 2014?

  1. Rosetta

  2. Philae

  3. Voyager 1

  4. New Horizons


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Philae was a lander that was part of the Rosetta mission, which successfully landed on the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014.

Which comet was famously known for its collision with Jupiter in 1994?

  1. Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet

  2. Hyakutake Comet

  3. Hale-Bopp Comet

  4. Halley's Comet


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet was famously known for its collision with Jupiter in 1994, which resulted in a spectacular series of impacts.

What is the name of the comet that was discovered in 1995 and became known for its extremely long tail?

  1. Hyakutake Comet

  2. Hale-Bopp Comet

  3. Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet

  4. Halley's Comet


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Hyakutake Comet was discovered in 1995 and became known for its extremely long tail, which stretched for millions of kilometers.

What is the name of the comet that was discovered in 1997 and became known for its bright greenish coma?

  1. Hale-Bopp Comet

  2. Hyakutake Comet

  3. Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet

  4. Halley's Comet


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Hale-Bopp Comet was discovered in 1997 and became known for its bright greenish coma, which was visible to the naked eye for 18 months.

What is the name of the comet that was discovered in 2007 and became known for its extremely dusty tail?

  1. McNaught Comet

  2. Lovejoy Comet

  3. ISON Comet

  4. NEOWISE Comet


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

McNaught Comet was discovered in 2007 and became known for its extremely dusty tail, which was visible to the naked eye for several weeks.

What is the name of the comet that was discovered in 2013 and became known for its extremely bright outburst?

  1. ISON Comet

  2. Lovejoy Comet

  3. McNaught Comet

  4. NEOWISE Comet


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

ISON Comet was discovered in 2013 and became known for its extremely bright outburst, which made it visible to the naked eye for several weeks.

What is the name of the comet that was discovered in 2014 and became known for its extremely close approach to the Sun?

  1. Lovejoy Comet

  2. McNaught Comet

  3. ISON Comet

  4. NEOWISE Comet


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Lovejoy Comet was discovered in 2014 and became known for its extremely close approach to the Sun, passing within 1.5 million kilometers of the Sun's surface.

What is the name of the comet that was discovered in 2020 and became known for its extremely long tail?

  1. NEOWISE Comet

  2. Lovejoy Comet

  3. McNaught Comet

  4. ISON Comet


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

NEOWISE Comet was discovered in 2020 and became known for its extremely long tail, which stretched for millions of kilometers.

What is the name of the comet that was discovered in 2021 and became known for its extremely bright outburst?

  1. Leonard Comet

  2. NEOWISE Comet

  3. Lovejoy Comet

  4. McNaught Comet


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Leonard Comet was discovered in 2021 and became known for its extremely bright outburst, which made it visible to the naked eye for several weeks.

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