Comet. Artwork of a comet showing its two distinct tails. The dust tail (white/mauve, upper right) consists of grains of dust pushed away from the com
Comet. Artwork of a comet showing its two distinct tails. The dust tail (white/mauve, upper right) consists of grains of dust pushed away from the comet's head by the radiation of sunlight. The ion tail (blue, centre) is made up of gases ionised by the effects of the solar wind. Both tails always point away from the Sun. Comets have a nucleus of ice and dust. As they approach the Sun their surface evaporates, releasing a tail millions of kilometres long. Their orbits around the Sun are highly elliptical, so that they spend most of their time as a solid, tail-less lump in the cold and distant reaches of the solar system.
Size: 3496px × 5108px
Photo credit: © DALE DARBY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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