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Collisions between objects in the Kuiper Belt produce fragments that become comets. The comets are known as short-period comets. Short-period comets take less than 200 years to orbit the sun. Therefore, they return to the inner solar system quite frequently, perhaps every few decades or centuries. Short-period comets also have short life spans. Every time a comet passes the sun, it may lose a later as much as 1m thick.

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How long are the tails of comets?

It depends on how fast the comet is going.


Why comets have tails?

Because the comet is going so fast there looks like the comet has a tail.


What comet has a tail?

All comets have tails when their proximity to the sun is such that the icy debris in the comet is warmed enough to melt and fall away from the comet.


What body forms a tail as it approaches the sun?

Comets are celestial objects that have tails and move around the sun. When a comet is moving toward the sun, its tail points toward the sun.


What is the distance of comet tails that have been observed to extend?

Some comets have tails reaching 160 million kilometers long.


What is small rocks in space left behind from comet tail?

Two things: 1. Comet tails do not follow along behind the comet. Comet tails always point away from the Sun. 2. Comets are not rocky, they are icy.


Do all comets have tails?

Yes, all comets develop tails when they approach the Sun. The tail forms as the Sun's heat vaporizes the comet's icy nucleus, releasing gas and dust that get pushed away from the comet by solar wind and radiation pressure, creating the characteristic tail.


Why do comets have tails at certain times?

The Sun boils off material from the comet and this is seen as a "tail".


Does solar flares give comets their tail?

No, solar flares do not give comets their tails. The tail of a comet forms from the solar wind interacting with the comet's nucleus, causing gas and dust to be released and form a tail that points away from the Sun. Solar flares are bursts of energy from the Sun's surface and are not directly responsible for creating comet tails.


Do the tails of comets point toward the moon?

Only by accident. A comet's tail will point away from the sun.


What are some famous comets?

Comet HALE-BOPPComet SWIFT-TUTTLE (1992)Comet HYAKUTAKEComet HALLEYMost comets are "famous" because they provide viewable tails, and because they reappear on a regular schedule, or after a period of years.


Gives comets their tails?

The tail of the comet is made up of melting ice. When the comet gets close to the sun, the melted ice becomes the gaseous tail.