Sun  ID: 11145

Counting Comets

Story by Karen Fox Released on December 13, 2012
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Comets that graze the sun used to be hard to spot, but now we have seen thousands.
As comets orbit the sun, many come too close and evaporate completely. Others survive the journey, but their orbits gradually move closer to the sun. Ultimately, the heat of the solar atmosphere melts the ice that binds a comet together and breaks it apart into smaller bodies that follow similar orbits. These are the sungrazers, and scientists and amateur astronomers are seeing more of them than ever. As of 1979, we only knew of a dozen. Nearing the end of 2012, thanks to better observation tools, we have now seen 3,000. The bulk of the sungrazers are known as Kreutz comets, and are likely derived from a single original comet observed as early as 371 AD. Watch the videos to learn more about and see NASA satellite footage of sungrazing comets.
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Learn how the particulars of comet orbits around the sun lead to the process of comet multiplication.
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On Dec. 15, 2011, NASA's STEREO and ESA/NASA's SOHO missions caught footage of Comet Lovejoy surviving its sungrazing trip.
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With better observing tools and more amateur astronomers joining the search, the number of sungrazers counted keeps going up.
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A close-up of this STEREO image shows Comet Lovejoy speeding toward the sun.

For More Information

NASA.gov

Story Credits

Video Editor:
Genna Duberstein (USRA)

Producer:
Genna Duberstein (USRA)

Lead Scientist:
William D. Pesnell (NASA/GSFC)

Lead Writer:
Karen Fox (ADNET Systems, Inc.)

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Comet Lovejoy cover image courtesy of ESA/NASA's SOHO mission
Comet Lovejoy footage courtesy of ESA/NASA's SOHO and NASA's STEREO missions
Comet Lovejoy image couretsy of JAXA/NASA Hinode mission

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11145

Keywords:
SVS >> App
NASA Science >> Sun