❓ why
Why do comets grow tails only when they get close to the Sun?
Quick Answer
Solar heat makes frozen gases on the comet’s surface sublimate into gas, carrying dust away with them. The Sun’s wind then pushes the material into a tail pointing away from the Sun.
The Full Story
Comets are icy bodies from the cold outer Solar System. When they move inward, sunlight heats their surfaces enough for ices to turn directly into gas, a process called sublimation. That gas releases dust, creating a glowing coma and one or two tails. One tail is usually dust pushed by sunlight, while the other is ionized gas pushed by the solar wind.
Key Facts
1.Comet tails point away from the Sun
2.Sublimation turns ice directly into gas
3.Many comets come from the Kuiper Belt or Oort Cloud
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"How does a frozen rock become a glowing comet?"
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