Comets are small solar system bodies that orbit the Sun. When close enough to the Sun they display a visible coma (a fuzzy outline or atmosphere due to solar radiation) and sometimes a tail.
The coma is created as the comet gets closer to the Sun, causing water, carbon dioxide and other compounds to sublime (quickly changing from solid to gas) from its surface.
- Comets are made of ice, dust and small rocky particles.
- The name comet comes from the Greek word meaning ‘hair of the head’, it came from the Greek philosopher Aristotle who observed comets as ‘stars with hair’.
- Short term comets (also known as periodic comets) have orbital periods of less than 200 years while long term comets have longer orbital periods.
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