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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.
What else can I help you with?
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.
What part of a comet is formed due to melting of the comet by the sun's energy?
The coma of a comet is formed due to melting of the comet's nucleus by the Sun's energy. This creates a cloud of gas and dust that surrounds the nucleus and forms the visible atmosphere of the comet.
Does a comet always have a tail?
The tail is actually moving away from the comet. The solar wind pushes the dust and ice particles away from the comet as it melts. The ice particles reflects the light from the sun allowing us to see the tail. In fact, the comet's tail is never behind it. It is always to one side of its direction of travel.
What do you call the piece of a comet that trails behind it?
The piece of a comet that trails behind it is called a tail. Cometary tails are composed of dust and ionized gases that become illuminated by the Sun, creating the characteristic bright streak visible from Earth.
The tail of a comet is longest when the comet is?
The tail of a comet is longest when the comet is closest to the sun, as the sun's heat causes the comet's icy surface to vaporize, creating a bright glowing tail that streams away from the 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.
What part of a comet is formed due to melting of the comet by the sun's energy?
The coma of a comet is formed due to melting of the comet's nucleus by the Sun's energy. This creates a cloud of gas and dust that surrounds the nucleus and forms the visible atmosphere of the comet.
Does a comet always have a tail?
The tail is actually moving away from the comet. The solar wind pushes the dust and ice particles away from the comet as it melts. The ice particles reflects the light from the sun allowing us to see the tail. In fact, the comet's tail is never behind it. It is always to one side of its direction of travel.
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 do you call the piece of a comet that trails behind it?
The piece of a comet that trails behind it is called a tail. Cometary tails are composed of dust and ionized gases that become illuminated by the Sun, creating the characteristic bright streak visible from Earth.
The tail of a comet is longest when the comet is?
The tail of a comet is longest when the comet is closest to the sun, as the sun's heat causes the comet's icy surface to vaporize, creating a bright glowing tail that streams away from the comet.
Is it possible for a comet to have no tail at its perihelion?
the answer is idk Yes, it does have brighter and longer tail, because during its closest approach to the sun, it was most effected by the sun (evaporating the more water from the comet). When it was further out, when the sun is much further, it will gradually become cooler, no ice evaporating too space, and no tail.
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.
What is a dead comet?
A dead comet is a comet that has lost all or most of its volatile materials, such as water and ice, through repeated orbits around the sun. Once these materials are depleted, the comet no longer displays a visible coma or tail and may be difficult to distinguish from an asteroid.
When was In the Tail of a Comet created?
In the Tail of a Comet was created on 2000-04-25.
