Astronomical events worth watching in 2024! Comet Bonte Brooks and Comet Shikenzan-Atlas approach Earth (Seasonal/Biological Topics March 12, 2024) – Japan Weather Society Tenki.jp

The comet is also called the “broom star” because it has a long tail and emits a faint glow in the night sky. The main body is a small celestial body that ranges from a few kilometers to several tens of kilometers in length. The main component is water in the form of ice, which consists of gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, as well as trace amounts of dust. Its appearance resembles a “dirty snowman” with sand on the surface of the ice.

When a comet approaches the Sun, heat gradually melts the comet's surface, causing the ice to evaporate and gas and dust to rise from the surface. The comet's body appears to shine as if it is surrounded by a faint light, and this is called “coma.” There are two types of impressive comet tails, depending on their appearance and composition. One “ion tail” (or plasma tail) is generated by gas, and the second is the “dust tail” (or dust tail) created by dust. As the comet approaches the Sun, the amount of gas and dust escaping from its body increases, making its tail brighter and its tail longer and brighter.

The orbits of the planets in the solar system are roughly circular ellipses, while the orbits of comets are often elongated ellipses. Some comets have parabolic or hyperbolic orbits, and these comets approach the Sun only once and never return. Among comets with elliptical orbits, those with an orbital period of less than 200 years are called “short-period comets,” and those with longer periods are called “long-period comets.” Most short-period comets orbit in the same plane as the ecliptic and in the same direction as the planet. On the other hand, the orbits of long-period comets are not related to the plane of the ecliptic, and the direction of their revolutions is also irregular. Comet Punt Brooks, whose period is about 70 years, is a short-period comet, and Comet Shikenzan-Atlas is expected to be a long-period comet and will never return.