The gas and dust in a comet’s tail are extremely lightweight.
The tails are created by solar wind rushing past the orbiting comet and blowing material away from the defrosting coma.
When the comet approaches the Sun, the force of the wind pushes the tail out behind the comet.
When the comet is moving away from the Sun, the wind still rushes past it, now sending the comet’s tail out in front.
The head of the comet Flaugergues, also known as the Great Comet of 1811, was bigger than the Sun.
The Great Comet of 1811 was a comet that was visible to the naked eye for around 260 days, a record it held until the appearance of Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997.
Related Posts
-
What Happens If Earth Passes Through a Comet’s Tail and What Were The Superstitions Surrounding Halley’s Comet?
Earth is more likely to pass through the tail of a comet than to collide with a comet head on. After all, a tail can be millions of times larger than the nucleus.…
-
What Is a Comet Made of, Why Do Comets Have Irregular Shapes, and What Does the Word Comet Mean In Latin?
A comet is often described as a dirty snowball. A comet's nucleus, or solid core is, in fact, made of 50 percent dust and gases, and 50 percent ice. The dust is made…
-
Which Space Probes Were Sent To Observe Halley’s Comet and Why Was Giotto Knocked Out of the Comet’s Path?
An international fleet of probes were launched to intercept the orbit of Halley's comet in 1986. The Soviet Vega 1 probe was the first to reach its destination, on March 6, coming within…
-
What Are the Physical Characteristics of a Comet and What Happens To Comets As They Approach the Sun?
Our knowledge of comets is based on what we see as they travel nearest the Sun in their orbits around the star. Except for comets with relatively short orbits, we don't know how…
-
What Are the Chances of a Comet Colliding With Earth and Are Comets Likely To Collide With Other Planets?
Cometary orbits are not steady and orderly like planetary orbits. Comets can come from anyhere on any trajectory. The chances of a planet getting in the way are pretty good, especially since a…
-
Why Do Comets Orbit the Sun and How Long Does It Take Comets To Orbit the Sun?
Comets are probably ejected from the Oort Cloud or Kuiper Belt as a result of a collision. Once disturbed, they are caught by the Sun's gravity and fly into an orbit around the…
