Cooking a comet - ingredients for life | Teach with space P06

Comets are considered to be time capsules containing information about the conditions of the early Solar System. In order to understand what they are, where they come from, and their influence on the evolution of Earth, it is necessary to find out what material they contain. This demonstration and practical activity, along with the resulting discussion, gives an insight into the chemical constituents of comets. An additional activity (extension), which looks at the impact processes on Earth as well as calculations of the kinetic energy involved, is included.