Comets
1On a clear night, you may see stars and the Moon in the sky. Once in a while, people can also spot a comet. This report answers three questions about these icy travelers in space.
2What is a comet?
A comet is a big chunk of ice, dust, and rock that travels around the Sun. The solid center of a comet is called the nucleus.
3How does a comet move?
A comet moves in an orbit. An orbit is the path one object follows around another object in space. A comet's orbit is usually shaped like a long, stretched-out oval. For most of its trip, a comet is far away from the Sun.
4Why does a comet have a tail?
When a comet comes near the Sun, the Sun warms it up. Some of the ice turns into gas. The gas and dust stream out and make a long, glowing tail. The tail points away from the Sun.
5Now you know what comets are, how they move, and why they have tails. If you ever spot a comet, look for its glowing tail!