Comet Composition: A Mixture of Ice and Dust

Description: Comets are fascinating celestial objects composed of a mixture of ice and dust. They originate from the outer regions of our solar system and occasionally make their way closer to the Sun, captivating observers with their beautiful tails. This quiz delves into the composition and characteristics of comets, testing your knowledge about these icy wanderers.
Number of Questions: 15
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Tags: comets composition ice dust solar system
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What is the primary component of a comet's nucleus?

  1. Ice

  2. Dust

  3. Rock

  4. Gas


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The nucleus of a comet is primarily composed of ice, including water ice, carbon dioxide ice, and other frozen gases.

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

  1. Coma

  2. Tail

  3. Nucleus

  4. Corona


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The coma is the bright, fuzzy region surrounding the nucleus of a comet, caused by the sublimation of ice and dust as the comet approaches the Sun.

Which of the following is NOT a common type of ice found in comets?

  1. Water ice

  2. Carbon dioxide ice

  3. Ammonia ice

  4. Methane ice


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Ammonia ice is not a common type of ice found in comets. Water ice, carbon dioxide ice, and methane ice are more prevalent.

What is the primary mechanism responsible for the formation of a comet's tail?

  1. Solar radiation

  2. Gravitational pull of the Sun

  3. Collision with other celestial bodies

  4. Magnetic fields


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Solar radiation, particularly ultraviolet radiation, causes the sublimation of ice and dust from the comet's nucleus, forming the tail.

Which of the following is NOT a common type of tail observed in comets?

  1. Ion tail

  2. Dust tail

  3. Plasma tail

  4. Gas tail


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Gas tails are not a common type of tail observed in comets. Ion tails, dust tails, and plasma tails are more frequently seen.

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

  1. Rosetta

  2. Voyager 1

  3. New Horizons

  4. Cassini-Huygens


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Rosetta spacecraft successfully landed a probe named Philae on the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014.

Which comet is known for its extremely long tail, sometimes stretching millions of kilometers?

  1. Halley's Comet

  2. Hale-Bopp Comet

  3. Hyakutake Comet

  4. Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Hale-Bopp Comet, discovered in 1995, is known for its exceptionally long tail, which at one point stretched over 500 million kilometers.

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.

Which comet was famously observed to collide with Jupiter in 1994?

  1. Hale-Bopp Comet

  2. Hyakutake Comet

  3. Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet

  4. Swift-Tuttle Comet


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet collided with Jupiter in July 1994, providing valuable insights into the composition and structure of comets.

What is the name of the spacecraft that collected samples from a comet and returned them to Earth?

  1. Stardust

  2. Rosetta

  3. New Horizons

  4. Voyager 2


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Stardust spacecraft collected samples from Comet Wild 2 and returned them to Earth in 2006, providing valuable information about the composition of comets.

Which comet is known for its distinctive greenish coma?

  1. Halley's Comet

  2. Hale-Bopp Comet

  3. Hyakutake Comet

  4. Borrelly Comet


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Borrelly Comet is known for its distinctive greenish coma, caused by the presence of diatomic carbon molecules.

What is the approximate size of a typical comet's nucleus?

  1. 1 kilometer

  2. 10 kilometers

  3. 100 kilometers

  4. 1000 kilometers


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

The nucleus of a typical comet is typically around 10 kilometers in diameter, although some comets may have larger or smaller nuclei.

Which comet was observed to have two distinct tails during its 1996 appearance?

  1. Hale-Bopp Comet

  2. Hyakutake Comet

  3. Borrelly Comet

  4. Wild 2 Comet


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Hyakutake Comet was observed to have two distinct tails during its 1996 appearance, one composed of dust and the other composed of ions.

What is the name of the spacecraft that visited two comets, Tempel 1 and Hartley 2?

  1. Rosetta

  2. Stardust

  3. Deep Impact

  4. New Horizons


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The Deep Impact spacecraft visited two comets, Tempel 1 and Hartley 2, and successfully impacted them with probes to study their composition and structure.

Which comet is known for its exceptionally high rotation rate, completing one rotation in just a few hours?

  1. Halley's Comet

  2. Hale-Bopp Comet

  3. Borrelly Comet

  4. Wild 2 Comet


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Wild 2 Comet is known for its exceptionally high rotation rate, completing one rotation in just a few hours, making it one of the fastest-rotating comets observed.

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