The Physics of Comet
Comets are icy bodies that formed in the outer regions of the solar system. They originate in the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud. The vast majority of these comets remain frozen in the outer reaches of the solar system. However, due to galactic tides and stellar perturbations, a few of these icy bodies venture inward to the inner planetary region. As their orbits approach closer to the Sun, the solar radiation heats up the nuclei and sublimation of the volatiles on the surface occurs. This gives from to its main characteristic features such as the coma and its two tails. Though comets are small bodies of the solar system, they are of great cosmic relevance. By studying the nature of comets, they may be able to reveal the important information of the chemical and physical processes that took place in the early system. Additionally, it is important to understand comets and their orbital motion to detect comets which could impact Earth.