What Is The Composition Of The Nucleus Of A Comet?
There are two theories that have been popularized over time in the support of the composition of the nucleus of a comet. The first theory called ‘flying sandbank’, proposed by Richard Proctor in mid 1800s and Raymond Lyttleton in mid 1900s, suggests that the tiny solid particles are conjectured together by mutual gravitational force applied on each other. The other theory known as “icy conglomerate” or “dirty snow-ball model”, proposed by Fred Whipple, suggests that a comet’s nucleus combines of meteoric rock particles and dust frozen in the ice. The exact composition of the core of the comet is still unknown to the researchers, while it is believed that rock particles and dust are combined together by icy water, methane, ammonia, and carbon-monoxide. The nuclei of a comet is too small to observe it clearly, however, it has been observed that the nucleus of the comet produces a sudden radical vivid sparkles and then to split into several fragments.
