Impact! Comets and Asteroids

In this program, comets are studied as ice mountains careening through the solar system.
Time-lapse photography of the Hale-Bopp comet provides an interesting perspective on this
visitor from the regions of the Kuiper belt. Pluto is studied as both a planet and a possible
comet from the Oort cloud. We see inner planets and their moons continually bombarded by
comets and space rocks from the asteroid belt. The impact of asteroids on life on Earth and
possible visits to them by future space missions are discussed. (20 minutes, color)