NEWOISE
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Subject: Science and tech
Context:
Comet C/2020 F3 Neowise which is one of the brightest comets in decades is passing Earth this month.
Concept:
- Comets are mostly made of dust, rocks and ice, the remnants from time the solar system was formed over 4.6 billion years ago.
- Comets can range in their width from a few miles to tens of miles wide. As they orbit closer to the sun, like in the case of C/2020 F3, they heat up and release debris of dust and gases that forms into a “glowing head” that can often be larger than a planet.
- Astronomers study comets because they hold important clues about the formation of the solar system and it is possible that comets brought water and other organic compounds, which are the building blocks of life to Earth.
- Further, NASA tracks all Near Earth Objects (NEOs) that includes comets and asteroids using telescopes placed all around the Earth, as part of its NEO Observation Program.