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- A comet's tail is only seen when the comet is relatively close to the Sun. The heat of the Sun evaporates particles from the comet and illuminates them.
- Far from the Sun there is neither evaporation nor illumination.
- If a comet tail is not visible, then probably it doesn't have a tail. The comet has a tail when it comes near the Sun, and gets heated up. It is interesting to note that the comet's tail will always point away from the Sun (it gets blown out by the solar wind), this may be "behind" or "in front of" the direction of movement of the comet.
- Usually, the center of a comet is composed of ices and meteoric materials. These ices are sublimated (transformation of solid into gas) under the action of sunlight when the comet goes to the sun. The dust and ice (that is transformed into gas) are expelled from the center of the comet. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun breaks the molecules of gas and dust. These broken molecules becomes bright because of exposition to ultraviolet. That's why we can see a comet's tail.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoWhen its' orbit brings it close enough to the Sun that the solar wind turns some of the ice into vapor.
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Do comets have a tail throughout their whole orbit?
No. The tail of a comet is just dust and vapor blown away from the comet by the solar wind. It is visible only because it reflects the Sun's light. The closer the comet is to the Sun, the more vapor and dust will be released, and the longer the comet's tail will be.It also depends on our viewing angle to the comet is. If the comet's tail is perpendicular to our line of sight, the comet tail will appear longer. If the comet's tail is pointed toward Earth or away from it, then the tail may appear very short or may not be visible at all.
Does Mars have a tail?
Venus is a planet, not a comet, so it does not have a tail.
What does a comet's ion tail consist of?
An ion tail is made of electrically charged particles and a dust tail is made of dust. Also, an ion tail will always point away from the sun because of the solar winds, while a dust tail tends to follow the comet's orbit and doesn't always point away from the sun.
Which comet is visible every 72years?
Halley's comet
Which heavenly bodies appear in the sky at regular bit long intervals and have a tail?
A comet is a space thing that has a heavenly body and a tail. The most famous comet known is Hailey's comet.
Do comets have a tail throughout their whole orbit?
No. The tail of a comet is just dust and vapor blown away from the comet by the solar wind. It is visible only because it reflects the Sun's light. The closer the comet is to the Sun, the more vapor and dust will be released, and the longer the comet's tail will be.It also depends on our viewing angle to the comet is. If the comet's tail is perpendicular to our line of sight, the comet tail will appear longer. If the comet's tail is pointed toward Earth or away from it, then the tail may appear very short or may not be visible at all.
Can a comets tail be hundreds of millions of kilometers long?
Sure. As a comet approaches the sun, the comet sheds some of its material, which trails behind it for millions of kilometers. It is this tail that is the most visible part of a comet. In fact, the word comet means "hairy star," referring to the long, streaming tail. In 1910, the earth actually passed through the tail of Halley's Comet.
How does a comet begin?
The comet's tail is in front of the comet, not after
What are the parts of a comet after it forms a tail?
The coma, the nucleus, and the tail are the parts of a comet after the tail has formed.
What is a tail of a comet made out of?
A comet actually has two tails, one of dust (the visible one) and one of ionized gas. The dust tail is affected by the sun's gravity, and may be slightly curved. The ion tail always points directly away from the sun in response to the Solar wind.
When was In the Tail of a Comet created?
In the Tail of a Comet was created on 2000-04-25.
Does Mars have a tail?
Venus is a planet, not a comet, so it does not have a tail.
What is a short definition of comet?
a comet is an icy small Solar System Body that, when passing close to the Sun, heats up and begins to outgas, displaying a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes a tail.
What does a comet's ion tail consist of?
An ion tail is made of electrically charged particles and a dust tail is made of dust. Also, an ion tail will always point away from the sun because of the solar winds, while a dust tail tends to follow the comet's orbit and doesn't always point away from the sun.
How does the elliptical orbit of comets affect their appearance?
Invisible to our eyes, ionic "winds" are constantly blowing away from the sun. As a comet passes in a long, elliptical orbit, its tail is pushed away from the sun by these solar winds. Since most of the visible part of the comet is its tail, this is a very visible effect. Of course, there is no air resistance in the vacuum of outer space, a comet's orbit will not make it more elongated, smooth, etc.
What comet is visible after 76 years?
Halley's comet is visible approximately every 76 years.
Which comet is visible every 72years?
Halley's comet
