Summary
In the StarTalk Podcast episode titled "Cosmic Queries – Comet NEOWISE with Neil deGrasse Tyson," the hosts and guest expert discuss various aspects of comets, including their orbits, composition, tails, and potential role in the origin of life on Earth. They explain that comets can have elongated orbits and are not bound to the solar system by gravity in the same way as planets. The Oort Cloud, a shell of comets that surrounds the solar system, is also discussed. The hosts and guest expert explore the possibility of finding amino acids on comets, which are essential building blocks of life, and explain how two comets have been discovered to contain glycine, the simplest amino acid. They also touch on the idea that our water may have originated from interstellar space.
The conversation also delves into the properties of comets, including the different types of ice present in them, such as water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia. The hosts and guest expert explain how these ices turn from solid to gas at different stages as comets approach the sun, producing a coma, the atmosphere that surrounds the rocky nucleus. The material that streams out behind the comet is just the comet losing its mass. The colors of comets tell us what is coming off their surface, which is sublimating and turning from solid to gas as they get hotter. Different compounds, molecules, and atoms have different colors corresponding to what their energy levels are.
The episode also covers the Rosetta mission and its landing on a comet. The speakers explain that once the spacecraft matches the speed of the comet, it doesn't have to attach to it but can stay in close proximity due to the physics of the situation. They also mention that the hardware is still sitting on the comet and may be jostled loose in the future. The conversation ends with a discussion of the guest's book and podcast.
Overall, the episode provides informative and engaging insights into comets and their significance in the study of our solar system. The hosts and guest expert answer questions from listeners about various aspects of comets, including their tails, potential collisions, and whether it is possible for a probe to hitch a ride on a comet. They also share interesting facts about comets and their naming conventions.
