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Comets are usually very small objects hurtling through space at enormous speeds. When they come into contact with a large object (such as the sun), they get captured in its gravity. However, the gravity isn't large enough to completely tear it away from the course it was originally following. So the result is a "slingshot" effect in which the comet flies very far out into space, turns around, shoots the other direction, and returns again. Thus the very large orbit.

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16y ago

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