The Comets

Description: The Comets Quiz
Number of Questions: 15
Created by:
Tags: astronomy comets space
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What is the primary composition of a comet's nucleus?

  1. Rock and dust

  2. Ice and gas

  3. Metal and minerals

  4. Water and carbon dioxide


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

A comet's nucleus is primarily composed of ice and gas, such as water ice, carbon monoxide, and methane.

What is the tail of a comet made of?

  1. Dust and gas

  2. Plasma and ions

  3. Solar wind and radiation

  4. Cosmic rays and particles


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

A comet's tail is composed of dust and gas that are released from the nucleus as the comet approaches the Sun and is heated.

What is the difference between a comet and an asteroid?

  1. Comets have tails, asteroids do not

  2. Comets are smaller than asteroids

  3. Comets orbit the Sun, asteroids do not

  4. Comets are made of ice and gas, asteroids are made of rock and metal


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The primary difference between a comet and an asteroid is that comets have tails, while asteroids do not. Comets also tend to be made of ice and gas, while asteroids are made of rock and metal.

What is the most famous comet?

  1. Halley's Comet

  2. Hale-Bopp

  3. Shoemaker-Levy 9

  4. Hyakutake


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Halley's Comet is the most famous comet because it is visible from Earth every 76 years. It was first observed in 240 BC and has been seen many times since then.

What is the largest comet ever observed?

  1. Hale-Bopp

  2. Hyakutake

  3. Shoemaker-Levy 9

  4. Bernardinelli-Bernstein


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

The largest comet ever observed is Bernardinelli-Bernstein, which was discovered in 2021. It has a nucleus that is about 120 kilometers in diameter, which is larger than the state of Rhode Island.

What is the fate of a comet that passes too close to the Sun?

  1. It is destroyed by the Sun's heat

  2. It is ejected from the Solar System

  3. It becomes a meteor shower

  4. It becomes a planet


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

If a comet passes too close to the Sun, it can be destroyed by the Sun's heat. The comet's nucleus can vaporize, and the tail can be blown away by the solar wind.

What is the name of the spacecraft that landed on a comet?

  1. Rosetta

  2. New Horizons

  3. Voyager 1

  4. Cassini-Huygens


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Rosetta spacecraft was the first spacecraft to land on a comet. It landed on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014 and studied the comet for over two years.

What is the name of the comet that collided with Jupiter in 1994?

  1. Shoemaker-Levy 9

  2. Hale-Bopp

  3. Hyakutake

  4. Bernardinelli-Bernstein


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Shoemaker-Levy 9 was a comet that collided with Jupiter in 1994. It was the first time that astronomers had ever observed a comet colliding with a planet.

What is the name of the comet that is expected to pass close to Earth in 2023?

  1. Comet NEOWISE

  2. Comet ATLAS

  3. Comet SWAN

  4. Comet Leonard


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Comet Leonard is expected to pass close to Earth in 2023. It is expected to be visible to the naked eye for several months.

What is the name of the comet that was discovered in 2020 and is expected to pass close to Earth in 2031?

  1. Comet NEOWISE

  2. Comet ATLAS

  3. Comet SWAN

  4. Comet Borisov


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Comet Borisov was discovered in 2020 and is expected to pass close to Earth in 2031. It is the first known interstellar comet, meaning that it originated from outside of the Solar System.

What is the name of the comet that was discovered in 2021 and is expected to pass close to Earth in 2029?

  1. Comet NEOWISE

  2. Comet ATLAS

  3. Comet SWAN

  4. Comet PanSTARRS


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Comet PanSTARRS was discovered in 2021 and is expected to pass close to Earth in 2029. It is expected to be visible to the naked eye for several months.

What is the name of the comet that was discovered in 2022 and is expected to pass close to Earth in 2030?

  1. Comet NEOWISE

  2. Comet ATLAS

  3. Comet SWAN

  4. Comet K2


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Comet K2 was discovered in 2022 and is expected to pass close to Earth in 2030. It is expected to be visible to the naked eye for several months.

What is the name of the comet that was discovered in 2023 and is expected to pass close to Earth in 2032?

  1. Comet NEOWISE

  2. Comet ATLAS

  3. Comet SWAN

  4. Comet C/2023 E3


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Comet C/2023 E3 was discovered in 2023 and is expected to pass close to Earth in 2032. It is expected to be visible to the naked eye for several months.

What is the name of the comet that was discovered in 2024 and is expected to pass close to Earth in 2033?

  1. Comet NEOWISE

  2. Comet ATLAS

  3. Comet SWAN

  4. Comet C/2024 F3


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Comet C/2024 F3 was discovered in 2024 and is expected to pass close to Earth in 2033. It is expected to be visible to the naked eye for several months.

What is the name of the comet that was discovered in 2025 and is expected to pass close to Earth in 2034?

  1. Comet NEOWISE

  2. Comet ATLAS

  3. Comet SWAN

  4. Comet C/2025 G2


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Comet C/2025 G2 was discovered in 2025 and is expected to pass close to Earth in 2034. It is expected to be visible to the naked eye for several months.

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