Size
Most cometary nuclei are thought to be no more than about 10 miles (16 kilometers) across. The largest comets that have come inside the orbit of Saturn are Hale–Bopp (~60 km), 29P (~30.8 km), 109P/Swift–Tuttle (~26 km), and 28P/Neujmin (~21.4 km).
The potato-shaped nucleus of Halley's comet (15 × 8 × 8 km) contains equal amounts of ice and dust. About 80 percent of the ice is water ice, and frozen carbon monoxide makes up another 15 percent. Much of the remainder is frozen carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia. Scientists believe that other comets are chemically similar to Halley's Comet. The nucleus of Halley's Comet is also extremely dark black. Scientists believe that the surface of the comet, and perhaps most other comets, is covered with a black crust of dust and rock that covers most of the ice. These comets release gas only when holes in this crust rotate toward the sun, exposing the interior ice to the warming sunlight.
During a flyby in 2001, the Deep Space 1 spacecraft observed the nucleus of Comet Borrelly and found it to be about half the size (8×4×4 km) of the nucleus of Halley's Comet. Borrelly's nucleus was also potato-shaped and had a dark black surface. Like Halley's Comet, Comet Borrelly only released gas from small areas where holes in the crust exposed the ice to sunlight.
The nucleus of comet Hale–Bopp was estimated to be 60 ± 20 km in diameter. Hale-Bopp appeared bright to the unaided eye because its unusually large nucleus gave off a great deal of dust and gas.
The nucleus of P/2007 R5 is probably only 100–200 meters in diameter.
The largest centaurs (unstable, planet crossing, icy asteroids) are estimated to be 250 km to 300 km in diameter. Three of the largest would include 10199 Chariklo (258 km), 2060 Chiron (230 km), and the currently lost 1995 SN55 (~300 km).
Known comets have been estimated to have an average density of 0.6 g/cm3. Below is a list of comets that have had estimated sizes, densities, and masses.
| Name | Dimensions km |
Density g/cm3 |
Mass kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halley's Comet | 15 × 8 × 8 | 0.6 | 3×1014 |
| Tempel 1 | 7.6×4.9 | 0.62 | 7.9×1013 |
| 19P/Borrelly | 8×4×4 | 0.3 | 2×1013 |
| 81P/Wild | 5.5×4.0×3.3 | 0.6 | 2.3×1013 |
Read more about this topic: Comet Nucleus
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