komeetide

Komeetide is a term used in planetary science and science fiction to describe a hypothetical mineral-like phase associated with cometary and meteoritic materials. Etymology: the name combines a variant of "comet" with the mineral-suffix "-ide," following common naming conventions for minerals and crystalline phases.

In speculative use, komeetide denotes a volatile-rich phase that might condense from the outer solar nebula or form by alteration of icy constituents within comets, carbonaceous chondrites, or icy satellites. Proposed occurrences include fine-grained dust in comet tails, inclusions within meteorite matrices, and impact-melt pockets on icy moons.

The proposed formation pathways include low-temperature condensation, irradiation processing, and subsequent thermal or aqueous alteration on parent bodies. Described in literature as light to dark in appearance, with variable density and a broad range of translucency, it is often imagined to be associated with organics or hydrated minerals and to exhibit infrared spectral features distinct from surrounding material.

As a tracer for the transport of primordial material in the early solar system or in fictional settings, komeetide serves as a mnemonic for studies of cometary matter. Komeetide is not recognized as a distinct mineral species in major mineralogical databases, and remains primarily a speculative or fictional concept rather than an established substance. The term appears in non-peer-reviewed speculative writings and in worldbuilding contexts; no confirmed natural occurrence has been documented.