Rendezvous with a Comet

Synopsis

Comets are important because they represent the leftover bits and pieces from the outer solar system formation process, which occurred four and a half billion years ago. As the planets formed, tiny clumps of dust emerged in the inner solar system, while dust and ice accumulated in the outer system. The comets contributed to the formation of the cores of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Unlike the planets, which are too hot for their original chemistry to remain intact, comets have stayed frozen, preserving the primordial materials from the early solar system.