Peculiar Shape

Retrieved from: http://space-facts.com/oort-cloud/

The Oort Cloud is different from any of the other regions of the solar system in a very distinctive way. Unlike any other portion, the Oort Cloud forms a sphere. Unfortunatly, we have never directly observed the Oort Cloud and it is only theoretical at this point. This is because most of the objects that make it up are small dark asteroids and comets. They are so distant from any body of light that they are practically invisible, and combined with how tiny they are it is practically impossible to see them in any calculated way. The way we know that the cloud looks the way it does is because of the numerous long period comets we've observed that come from off of the orbital plane. This is the currently accepted theory as to how those objects are coming from where they appear to be. They were not formed there, however. The currently accepted idea is that they are early solar system objects that were pushed out there by the gravitational force of the giant planets, Jupiter in particular.

Since the Oort Cloud is theoretical and only the best accepted theory of where these strange objects are coming from. There is a chance of course that the Oort Cloud is not actually there. and these things are coming from somewhere else entirely, debris from between solar systems. The shape itself is very strange and notable since it reminds me something of an atom. Forever we thought of electrons as having orbits, but, like the Oort Cloud, through observation it has been modeled as an electron cloud. That the path an electron takes is chaotic and could be anywhere around an atom at any time. Previously we believed that objects in the solar system existed on this orbital plane.

Long-Period Comets

Last post, we talked about the dwarf planet Sedna and some unique traits associated with it and the Oort Cloud. Today, we are going to be looking at the trillions of asteroids floating around out there. You wouldn't think that the tiny rocks way out there would have much effect on the inner solar system. The gravity would seem like it would be to weak to have any significant impact on the space rocks and would barely affect them. It is for this reason, the feebleness of the Sun's gravity on these bodies, that makes them so significant for the inner solar system. If the Sun had a stronger grip on them, they would be in tighter orbits, and we would never see them in our neck of the woods. But, due to gravitational interaction from nearby passing bodies, these rocks can get knocked off their orbit and end up traveling toward the Sun.

http://global.jaxa.jp/article/interview/2013/vol81/img/img_03_l.jpg

These bodies that get knocked off their orbit in the cloud are what we call comets. The Oort Cloud is the place where long-period comets are born. The distance from the sun and the temperature are what end up giving them their telltale signs as a comet. The make up of the comet, from being so far from the sun during its formation, is primarily dust and volatile ices, with a low density rocky/gravelly core. When a comet gets knocked toward the sun, the speed of the comet and the solar wind combined with the speed it is traveling make it hurtle off debris in 2 directions that it travels. One tail is primarily dust, and this one travels along the orbit line, so it will look more curved but a bit shorter, and it is leaving behind it a trail of dust and is generated by the low desnity rock falling off of the comet at it rips through space. The gas tail, or the Ion Tail is produced by the solar winds and will be pointing directly away from the sun, whether the comet is moving toward or away from it. The gas tail is made up of the volatile ices melting off of the comet by the sun's magnetically charged plasma and becoming charged particles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_tail#/media/File:Cometorbit.png

http://www.passmyexams.co.uk/GCSE/physics/images/comet.jpg

Next time we will look at the unique shape of the Oort Cloud and why we believe it  is like this even though we cannot see it.