The name 'Comet' derived from the Latin words "stella cometa" which means "hairy star". Comets are also called 'visitors of the Solar System'. Comets are among the most spectacular and unpredictable bodies in the Solar System.
Comets moved around the Sun in regular orbits, but their orbits are elongated ellipses that it takes them hundreds and, sometimes even thousands of years to complete one revolution around the Sun.
Comets are made up of frozen gases which hold together rocky and metallic material. A comet becomes visible only when it travels close to the Sun. Its ice melts and the gas and dust is swept back into a tail. The tail always points away from the Sun. So when it is travelling away from the Sun it is led by its tail.
Features of a Comet :
»» A comet is characterised by a long luminous tail, which emits light. But this is visible only when the comet's orbit passes close to the sun.
»» When the comet travels close to the Sun, the ice melts to a head of gas called a Coma.
»» The Sun's radiation sweeps this into a gas tail.
»» Dust particles are also swept back to form a dust tail.
Comets moved around the Sun in regular orbits, but their orbits are elongated ellipses that it takes them hundreds and, sometimes even thousands of years to complete one revolution around the Sun.
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| Comet |
Features of a Comet :
»» A comet is characterised by a long luminous tail, which emits light. But this is visible only when the comet's orbit passes close to the sun.
»» When the comet travels close to the Sun, the ice melts to a head of gas called a Coma.
»» The Sun's radiation sweeps this into a gas tail.
»» Dust particles are also swept back to form a dust tail.
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