The Solar System - Word Search - PUZZLE #47 ENCKE - August 2025

PUZZLE #47 - ENCKE 

IN-CONTEXT WORD DEFINITIONS

Shortest Period: Encke is famous for having the shortest orbital period of any known comet, completing an orbit around the Sun in just 3.3 years. This makes it a frequently observed comet.

Taurids: This is the name of two annual meteor showers, the Northern Taurids and Southern Taurids, which are associated with the debris stream left behind by Comet Encke. When Earth passes through this stream in October and November, dust particles burn up in the atmosphere, creating the Taurid meteors.

Tunguska event: While not definitively linked, some scientific hypotheses have suggested that the impact event in Tunguska, Siberia, in 1908, which flattened over 2,000 square kilometers of forest, might have been caused by a fragment of Comet Encke. This is because the Tunguska impactor's trajectory aligns with a potential meteoroid stream from the comet.

Fireballs: Within the context of the Taurid meteor showers associated with Encke, "fireballs" refer to exceptionally bright meteors. These are caused by larger pieces of debris from Encke entering Earth's atmosphere and burning up, often appearing as brilliant streaks of light across the sky.

Reddening Slope: This term refers to the characteristic way that the reflected light from a comet's nucleus changes with wavelength, showing a tendency to appear redder at longer wavelengths. Encke's nucleus exhibits a "reddening slope," which is common among comets and suggests the presence of complex organic molecules (tholins) on its surface, formed by radiation exposure.

Perturbations: Encke's short orbital period means it frequently passes close to the inner planets, particularly Jupiter. These close encounters cause gravitational "perturbations" that alter the comet's orbit over time, slowly changing its path and period.

Fragmentation: Observations suggest that Comet Encke is actively fragmenting or shedding pieces of its nucleus. This is indicated by the formation of smaller comets or meteoroid swarms within its trail, as well as the occasionally observed outbursts of dust and gas. This fragmentation contributes to the debris that causes the Taurid meteor showers.

Near-Earth Object (NEO): Because of its short orbital period and its path crossing Earth's orbit, Encke is classified as a Near-Earth Object. This means it has an orbit that brings it close to Earth's vicinity, making it a subject of study for potential impact hazards.

Spacecraft: While no spacecraft has directly visited Comet Encke, its close approaches to the Sun and the inner planets allow for remote "observation" by Earth-based and space-based telescopes, including the STEREO spacecraft, which observed its tail during solar conjunction.

Secret Word: Encke's frequent returns to the inner solar system make it one of the most observed comets. Astronomers regularly track its path, study its activity, and monitor its associated meteor showers through various "observations" using telescopes and radar. These observations have provided valuable data on cometary evolution and fragmentation.