Beyond Earth Class 6 Long Question Answer

Beyond Earth Class 6 Long Question Answer

Beyond Earth Class 6 Long Question Answer

Question 1.

Describe how comets develop their distinctive tails when they approach the Sun and the different types of tails they can have.

Answer:

Comets develop distinctive tails when they approach the Sun due to the heat causing their icy nuclei to sublimate and release gas and dust. As the comet gets closer to the Sun, this process forms a glowing coma around the nucleus and one or more tails that point away from the Sun.

The two main types of tails are the dust tail, which is curved and reflects sunlight, and the ion tail, which is straight and made of ionized gases. The interaction between the solar wind and the comet’s gases causes the ion tail to point directly away from the Sun, while the dust tail follows the comet’s orbit and curves.

Question 2.

What role do asteroids play in our understanding of the early solar system, and how do scientists study these celestial objects?

Answer:

Asteroids are remnants from the early solar system and provide valuable information about its formation. They are thought to be leftover building blocks that never combined into planets. By studying asteroids, scientists can learn about the conditions and processes that prevailed in the early solar system.

Observations and missions, such as those conducted by spacecraft like NASA’s OSIRIS- REx and ESA’s Hera, collect data on asteroid composition, structure, and dynamics. Analysis of asteroid samples, surface features, and orbits helps scientists understand the history of the solar system and the formation of plan.