Deep Impact Logo NASA Logo

The Deep Impact Comet Acrostic
Created for the Deep Impact Mission, A NASA Discovery Mission
Maura Rountree-Brown and Art Hammon
Student - Enrichment
<< Previous Page Next Page >>
C ARE COLD AND ICY
HAVE COMA
DO THEY HAVE A CRUST?
O OUTGAS ICE AND DUST
COME FROM THE OORT CLOUD OR KUIPER BELT
M MIDDLE CALLED A NUCLEUS
MILLIONS OF MILES OF TAIL
E FROM THE EARLY SOLAR SYSTEM
HAVE ELLIPTICAL ORBITS
T THREE TAILS - DUST, ION AND NEUTRAL SODIUM
S THE SUN HEATS COMETS TO CAUSE OUTGASSING, REFLECTION OF DUST, MOVING THE COMA BACK TO FORM A TAIL. COMETS ARE SNOWY DIRTBALLS OR DIRTY SNOWBALLS - WHICH ONE??

ALSO: The appearance of the nucleus is very dark and sometimes mottled or spotted in appearance because some of the material from a comet's jets settles back down and clings to the surface. They hold important clues to the formation of the solar system and could potentially offer natural resources for us if we ever live in space. A comet that takes 200 years or more to pass around the Sun is a long period comet while short period comets come more often, every 20 years or less. Comets with orbit periods in between are called Halley-type comets. Want to know more?

Check out the Deep Impact mission to a comet at:
http://deepimpact.umd.edu
Find out about more NASA comet missions at:
http://deepimpact.umd.edu/science/smallbodies.cfm
<< Previous Page Next Page >>