Cooking Up a Comet

This Teaching Astronomy and Space video clip, from the Institute of Physics (IOP), Teachers TV and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), shows how a range of ingredients can be used to make a material in the classroom that is the similar to the solid head of a comet.

The clip shows how mixing water, silicates (sand) methane, ethanol, organics and carbon compounds mimick the materials found in a comet. Using dry ice to freeze them into a solid mass helps to further illustrate comets in the expanses of space.

The video clip illustrates an easy to repeat and accessible demonstration to engage students.

Please refer to the information and acknowledgements for this resource.

STFC is a part of the Research Councils UK (RCUK) partnership of research councils.