1) A comet that passes through the solar system just once has a path that is modeled by a conic section. Astronomers discover a comet whose path is modeled by the following equation, with the Sun at one focus. What type of conic section is the comet's path?
x^2/2,500-y^2/37,500=1
2) What are the vertices of the comet's path? (Hint: Examine the general formula for the path and identify the numbers that determine the vertices.)
3) At its closest point to the Sun, this comet is ____ million miles from the Sun. (Enter only the number.)
Hint: Subtract the vertex from the focus