Comets have always been objects of fascination. Even in ancient times, these strange, otherworldly bodies and their ghostly tails have captured our imagination, often being viewed as omens. But with modern astronomy, their mystery has largely vanished. Except for one small detail: we don't fully understand how they got here.
We know what they are now: icy bodies, often with prominent amounts of rock. When they pass near the Sun, they heat up and their ices melt. When warm enough, they outgas, forming atmospheres (or comas) and tails, since the comet’s weak gravity fails to hold onto the gas. But we're not as certain about how these bundles of ice gathered in the first place. Where did they come from and how did they form? A new study addresses that question.
The process that formed the comets would have left evidence on the comets themselves. And, thanks to spacecraft that have been flying by comets in recent years, as well as astronomical observations and theoretical models, researchers have been able to find information on the origins of these bodies. These clues, including the shapes of the comets and what the researchers appropriately call "splats" from impacts, provide a clearer picture of comets' history.
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