Fading of Long-Period Comets Begins beyond Saturn, Study Says
The discovery probability of long-period comets passing near the Sun is highest during their first passage and then declines, or fades, during subsequent return passages. Comet fading is largely attributed to devolatilization and fragmentation via thermal processing within 2 to 3 AU (astronomical unit) of the Sun (1 AU being the Earth-Sun distance). New numerical simulations by Dr. Nathan Kaib, an...