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How does a comet's tail form?
When a comet gets close to the Sun, it warms up, its ice turns into gas, and the solar wind blows this gas and dust backward to make the tail.
Comets are really like big, dirty snowballs. They are made of ice, dust, and rock. When they are far from the Sun, they are very cold and have no tail.
When a comet gets close to the Sun, the Sun's heat turns the ice straight into gas, without it melting first. This is called sublimation. The gas and dust spread out around the comet like a cloud.
The Sun always blows out an invisible wind called the solar wind. This wind pushes the gas and dust away from the Sun, making a long tail.
That is why a comet's tail always points away from the Sun, no matter which way the comet is moving.
Quick facts
- Comets are objects in space made of ice, dust, and rock.
- When a comet gets close to the Sun, the heat turns its ice straight into gas, which is called sublimation.
- The solar wind pushes this gas and dust backward, forming a tail.
- A comet's tail always points away from the Sun.
- Some comets have two tails: one made of dust and one made of gas.
- Halley's Comet goes around the Sun about once every 76 years.
Check what you remember
4 questions — all of them come from the quick facts above. There is no score and no wrong turn.
1. Why does a comet's tail form?
2. Which way does a comet's tail point?
3. What is it called when ice turns straight into gas?
4. How often does Halley's Comet go around the Sun?
Where this comes from
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2 tr.wikipedia.org 85/100Comet - Wikipedia
An encyclopedia entry that explains in detail how comets and their tails form.
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3 britannica.com 80/100Comet - Britannica
A source that explains what comets are made of and how their tails work in simple, scientific terms.
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