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comet

vr.tr.comet · thing-q3559

Let an agent handle comets by designation, orbit, activity and visibility, and separate them from asteroids and meteors.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.SPC
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Identity Which comet.

Designation

MPC designation.

Designation

The designation and name.

  1. What is its designation and name? provenance
  2. Is it periodic? definition

Discovery

Who and when.

Discovery

Discovery details.

  1. When and by whom was it discovered? provenance
  2. Is it a returning comet? definition
Orbit Path and return.

Elements

Orbital elements.

Orbit

Orbital data.

  1. What are its perihelion date and distance? measurement
  2. When will it return, if at all? measurement

Close approach

To Earth.

Approach

Closest approach.

  1. How close does it come to Earth? measurement
  2. Is there any risk? boundary
Activity Coma and tails.

Brightness

Magnitude.

Brightness

Predicted and observed brightness.

  1. How bright is it expected to be, and how reliable is that? measurement
  2. Is it brightening or fading? measurement

Composition

Ices and dust.

Composition

Composition.

  1. What is its composition? measurement
  2. How was that measured? provenance
Observation Seeing it.

Where to look

Sky position.

Visibility

Where and when visible.

  1. Where and when is it visible from a given place? action
  2. Is equipment needed? definition

Myths

Doom claims.

Myths

Myths to correct.

  1. Are there false claims about this comet? boundary
  2. How should they be corrected? action

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.SPC
Other names and narrower kinds
extinct comet, non-periodic comet, elliptical comet, Great Comet, lost comet, sungrazing comet, Manx Comet, long-period comet, aperiodic comet, Marsden sungrazers, Kracht sungrazers, Meyer sungrazers

What it is Filled

A small icy astronomical body, either bound to the Solar System or travelling through it from interstellar space, that develops a glowing coma and often tails of gas and dust when close enough to the Sun for its ices to sublimate.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent handle comets by designation, orbit, activity and visibility, and separate them from asteroids and meteors.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Icy nucleus that becomes active near the Sun
  • Coma and tails, unlike asteroids
  • Periodic and non-periodic orbits
  • Meteor showers come from comet debris

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Present a comet as an impact threat or omen without evidence.
  • Give a predicted brightness as certain; comets are notoriously unpredictable.
  • Misattribute a discovery.

Only with a human decision

  • Issuing any public alert about a potential impact.

May

  • Report a comet's designation, orbit and brightness from astronomical catalogues.
  • Help observers plan viewing with times and sky positions.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Comets have long fuelled panic; false alarms cause real fear.
  • Discovery credit matters to amateur and professional astronomers.

Who is affected

  • The public
  • Observers and discoverers

Owners Filled

Steward

Nobody: a natural body; the international astronomical bodies assign names and designations.

Master systems

  • Minor planet and comet catalogues of the international astronomical bodies

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q193275 - registry parent class

related

  • astronomical object - small body
  • asteroid - no coma
  • meteor shower - debris
  • star - the Sun

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.comet
  • Wikidata: Q3559 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3559)
  • comet designation: P/ or C/ plus year and letters, or number P/ IAU Minor Planet Center

Direct properties required Filled

  • nucleus diameter: 0.1-60 km
  • tail length: up to over 1 AU distance

Recognition required Filled

  • Fuzzy coma and tails
  • Designations such as 1P/Halley or C/2020 F3
  • Meteors are brief streaks, not comets
  • A fuzzy head (coma) with one or more tails pointing away from the Sun; bright comets are visible to the naked eye.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • discover and designate it
  • observe it, and predict its visibility
  • track its orbit
  • visit it, with spacecraft

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Brightness predictions often wrong
  • Confusing designations
  • Sensational doom claims

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • IAU comet naming rules

Context of use required Filled

  • Comets preserve material from the early Solar System and are spectacular sky objects.
  • short-period (P/) and long-period comets (C/)
  • sungrazing comets
  • extinct and lost comets
  • great comets

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q3559: comet - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Comet - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should comets be instances with MPC designations?
  • How should brightness uncertainty be communicated?
  • How should comet and meteor shower links be modelled?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q3559/spec.json