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Why are comets icy, but asteroids are rocky?

Question:

Why are comets icy, but asteroids are rocky?

Oort Cloud:

The Oort cloud is a massive structure that surrounds our solar system, and it contains most of the comets that we see from Earth when it is near its perihelion of orbit. The maximum distance of the Oort cloud from our Sun is about two light-years which is also the maximum gravitational influence of the Sun. The astronomers estimate that it may contain trillions of comets.

Answer and Explanation: 1

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To understand why asteroids are rocky and comets are icy, we need to know what they are made of and their orbit around the sun.

Asteroids are small...

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Asteroids, Meteorites & Comets: Definitions and Characteristics

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Chapter 11 / Lesson 18
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Learn the difference between asteroid vs. meteor vs. comet. Discover the characteristics of asteroids, meteors, and comets, as well as how to differentiate between these three space objects.


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