FYKOS Year 34 Series 6 Problem 4 — I have seen the comet · FYKOS 34 #34.6.4
Physics · mechanics · thermodynamics
Problem
Long-period and non-periodic comets usually begin the outgassing process
when they reach the orbit of Saturn. Until that, they appear only as small
rocks to an observer on Earth, and therefore they are almost unobservable.
Assume a comet with the perihelion distance q=0.5au. Estimate the time that it takes for the comet to reach the Earth's orbit once it passes the orbit of Saturn. The eccentricity of the trajectory of the comet is very close to one.