Comets: Dirty Snowballs with Glowing Tails

Comets are like frozen time capsules. Far from the Sun, they’re dark lumps of ice mixed with dust. But when a comet approaches the inner Solar System, sunlight heats it up and starts releasing gas and dust. This creates a glowing cloud around it (the coma) and often one or more tails.

A neat beginner fact: the tail doesn’t trail behind like a contrail. It points away from the Sun because solar wind pushes the material outward.

Comets can be unpredictable in brightness. Some become stunning naked-eye objects, while others stay faint and only show up in binoculars or photos.