Thanks BenLurkin.
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Posted on 11/19/2014 1:44:17 PM PST by BenLurkin
Asteroids and comets have a few things in common. They are both celestial bodies orbiting our Sun, and they both can have unusual orbits, sometimes straying close to Earth or the other planets. They are both “leftovers” — made from materials from the formation of our Solar System 4.5 billion years ago. But there are a few notable differences between these two objects, as well. The biggest difference between comets and asteroids, however, is what they are made of.
While asteroids consist of metals and rocky material, comets are made up of ice, dust, rocky materials and organic compounds. When comets get closer to the Sun, they lose material with each orbit because some of their ice melts and vaporizes. Asteroids typically remain solid, even when near the Sun.
Right now, the majority of asteroids reside in the asteroid belt, a region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter which may hold millions of space rocks of varying sizes. On the other hand, the majority of comets are in the farthest reaches of our Solar System: either 1. in the Kuiper Belt — a region just outside the orbit of the dwarf planet Pluto that may have millions of icy comets (as well as many icy dwarf planets like Pluto and Eris); or 2. comets also come from the Oort Cloud, a region where trillions of comets may circle the Sun at huge distances of up to 20 trillion kilometers (13 trillion miles).
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
Tag line stuff right there!
I do know the difference between a vitamin and a hormone - You can’t hear a vitamin.../rimshot
Only very rarely does an asteroid have a tail. A comet has a tail as big as a kite.
Comets have a great deal of ices and travel in orbits that are either highly elliptical or even parabolic. Asteroids travel in orbits that are closer to a circle
You missed the tag...
No metals on comets? No organic compounds on asteroids? Why?
Danged old middle aged eye sight!
No, you’re apparently thinking of Hemorrhoids. You aren’t stupid are you?
You should be happy then that he said something completely stupid before you did then. :)
Asteroids don’t taste like gasoline and make your teeth turn green.
Huh?
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