Chapter
The Origins of Comets from the Oort Cloud
22:22 - 27:24 (05:01)
Long period comets originating from the Oort cloud are influenced by the gravity of the galaxy and their orbits slowly change over time, eventually elongating to the point where ice starts to sublimate, resulting in their discovery as comets. These comets are believed to form an almost spherical structure around the Sun and have been detected for hundreds of years seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
Clips
The Oort cloud is a unique and extensive population of icy objects that exists at the edges of our solar system, even beyond the Kuiper belt and scattered disk.
22:22 - 23:36 (01:13)
Summary
The Oort cloud is a unique and extensive population of icy objects that exists at the edges of our solar system, even beyond the Kuiper belt and scattered disk. With some of the longest orbits known, they are believed to extend halfway to the next nearest star.
ChapterThe Origins of Comets from the Oort Cloud
Episode#201 – Konstantin Batygin: Planet 9 and the Edge of Our Solar System
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Long period comets come from the Oort Cloud, which sits 30,000 times as far away from the Sun as Earth, and interact with the gravity of the galaxy over time, causing their elongated orbits to bring them closer to the Sun, eventually revealing them as comets once the ice on them starts to sublimate.
23:37 - 27:24 (03:47)
Summary
Long period comets come from the Oort Cloud, which sits 30,000 times as far away from the Sun as Earth, and interact with the gravity of the galaxy over time, causing their elongated orbits to bring them closer to the Sun, eventually revealing them as comets once the ice on them starts to sublimate. This is in contrast to solar system objects which travel on elliptical paths and these comets travel on hyperbolic paths, distinguishing them as coming from outside our solar system.