Ride a Comet

Beyond Earth, past Jupiter and Saturn, and farther than Pluto lies a cold and distant region called the Oort Cloud. Out here, trillions of dirty, icy lumps surround the solar system like a vast, loose bubble. Scientists believe that these lumps were left over when the planets formed about 4.5 billion years ago.

Now and then, a lump gets pulled out of its peaceful orbit by the gravity of a star or planet. It plunges into the inner solar system on a wild ride toward the