Paper Model Of Comet Ison'S Orbit (Page 2 of 4) in pdf

Comet ISON floats against a backdrop of stars and galaxies in this composite image, acquired April 10, 2013,

by the Wide Field Camera 3 instrument aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. At the time of this observation, the

comet was 394 million miles from Earth.

NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

that is quite unlike the nearly circular orbits of the

they cannot discount the possibility that the comet

inner planets. The planets travel in orbits only slightly

may break up into numerous small fragments that

tilted out of Earth’s orbital plane, but ISON’s track is

quickly evaporate. In fact, this is the typical fate of

steeply inclined to it. Based on the details of its orbit,

sungrazing comets.

astronomers think this is ISON’s first passage through

If ISON survives, it may be visible to the unaided

the inner solar system and near the sun.

eye in morning twilight during the first week of

Comet ISON will pass about 6.7 million miles

December. As it pulls away from the sun, the comet

(10.8 million km) from Mars on Oct. 1. That’s

will quickly fade in brightness even as it comes closer

about six times closer than it will ever come to

to Earth. ISON makes its closest approach to Earth

Earth, so scientists are planning to make intriguing

on Dec. 26, when it passes 39.9 million miles (64.2

observations using spacecraft now working at Mars,

million km) away or about 167 times farther than the

such as NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

moon. About three weeks later, on Jan. 15, 2014,

Although the orbit of Mars is not shown on the model,

Earth passes through the plane of the comet’s orbit.

its location can be estimated. Using the scale on the

Display Base, just measure down from the comet’s

This project was developed by Francis Reddy at

position on the date of its closest approach.

Syneren Technologies Corp. and NASA’s Goddard

On Nov. 28, comet ISON makes its sweltering

Space Flight Center, with assistance from Barbara

swing around the sun, passing about 728,000 miles

Mattson (USRA/CRESST) and Pat Tyler (Syneren),

(less than 1.2 million km) above its visible surface.

also at Goddard. We thank Dennis Bodewits and

This incredibly close encounter is what classifies

Michael Kelley (University of Maryland, College Park)

ISON as a “sungrazing” comet.

and Matthew Knight (Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff,

Satellites designed to study the sun, such

Arizona) for their scientific review.

as NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, will be

monitoring how ISON responds to the fierce solar

Build the model!

heat. Scientists plan to use the comet’s tail as a solar

probe to trace how hot gases move throughout the

sun’s atmosphere, a region called the corona.

You will need a printed version of the parts, scissors

Using data acquired by several space observa-

or a hobby knife, and tape.

tories, including NASA’s Swift and the Hubble Space

Telescope, astronomers have estimated the size

1. Carefully cut out the three parts along the

of the comet’s icy body to be about 3 miles (5 km)

printed area. Also cut along the dashed lines

across. Scientists think this may be large enough

around any tabs. Carefully cut a slot along the

for ISON to survive its fiery solar passage, but

dashed line on the Comet Orbit that extends

Paper Model Of Comet Ison'S Orbit Page 2

Related Articles

Related forms

Related Categories