Universe

THE UNIVERSE

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COMETS
Comets do not always have large visible detail or tails! When a comet gets closer to a star ice particles are blown off which creates the comet's tail. Usually tails extend behind the comet in the opposite direction from a star. The image of a Star with long hair is appropriate as the name derives from the Greek "Icometes" meaning a "long haired star". Some Comets can be gigantic - some are thought to be more than 100,000 miles across, with tails extending up to 75 million miles. Hale-Bopp was discovered independently in 1995 by Alan Hale and Tom Bopp. It is the farthest comet ever discovered by amateurs. Hale-Bopp appeared 1000 times brighter than Comet Halley did at the same distance from the Earth. It is the brightest comet to be seen since 1976. It is estimated that Hale-Bopp last visited the inner solar system, around the time Stonehenge was nearing completion. This is speculative as any number of cosmic events could have changed it's course. Gravitational tugs by the planets, particularly Jupiter, mean it will return in about 2380 years. Its closest approach to the earth this time around was 122 million miles. Hale-Bopp's mass would equal the size of a mountain. With a tail length of 50-60 million miles, it is and was certainly an impressive sight.   

   spre Danea Daniela spre FRUIT AND VEGETABLES