How are asteroids and comets similar ?
Asteroids and comets are similar in various ways:
1. Origin: Both asteroids and comets are remnants from the early formation of the solar system, about 4.6 billion years ago.
2. Composition: Both asteroids and comets are primarily made up of rocky and metallic materials. However, comets also contain a lot of ice, including water ice, as well as other volatile compounds.
3. Size and Shape: Both asteroids and comets come in various sizes and shapes. While some asteroids can be small and irregularly shaped, others can be quite large, even reaching hundreds of kilometers in diameter. Similarly, comets can vary in size, with some being relatively small and others being larger.
4. Orbit: Both asteroids and comets have elliptical orbits around the sun. While asteroids tend to have more circular or elongated orbits, comets often have highly elliptical orbits that bring them close to the sun at perihelion and take them far out into the outer reaches of the solar system at aphelion.
5. Impact Potential: Both asteroids and comets pose a potential impact risk to Earth. In the past, significant impacts from both types of objects have occurred and caused major environmental changes on our planet.