[meteorite-list] Observed lunar meteorite impacts hit 100

From: Mark Crawford <mark_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 22 May 2008 07:38:14 -0400
Message-ID: <20080522073814.xniagvtuzok8sgws_at_annasach.net>

I don't, personally, see it as a hard distinction. The labels are more
for convenience - comets tend to be 'wetter and oilier', and more
often are in eccentric orbits. Asteroids tend not to exhibit coma/tail
because in a more stable orbits, they would either have lost most of
their volatiles long ago (close in), or not be significantly shedding
them (farther out).

They may be manifestations of the same thing, but the labels are still
useful (cf water/ice/steam).

Mark


Quoting Mark Ford <mark.ford at ssl.gb.com>:

>
> Good point Larry.
>
> But I can't understand why people are still carefully distinguishing
> between comets and Asteroids?, I think by now we can assume they are
> basically one and the same, and not some exotic different species. To me
> it's just that some rocks are more 'wet and oily' than others...
>
Received on Thu 22 May 2008 07:38:14 AM PDT