Why is the dust tail of a comet a tail?

In summary, the comet's tail is a result of solar wind and radiation pressure reaching the comet, causing dust and gas to escape the Nucleus and form a tail. The gas tail often points in a different direction due to being less massive and being carried away by the solar wind. The tail always points away from the sun, regardless of the comet's direction, and can appear to point in opposite directions from our perspective. When the comet is leaving the system, its tail becomes a "nose" as it points inwards towards the sun.
  • #1
edoarad
19
0
is it also due to solar wind? if so why is it in a different direction than the gaz tail?
 
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  • #2
The coma around the comet emits a large tail when solar wind and radiation pressure reach the comet; the tail is made up of dust and gas escaping the Nucleus of the comet.

The tail it self does not emit light but it reflects the light of the sun and start glowing because they are become ionized by the UV radiation.
 
  • #3
edoarad said:
is it also due to solar wind? if so why is it in a different direction than the gaz tail?
The dust tail is physical debris that it ablated from the comet by solar radiation, and it tends to trail the direction of travel of the comet. The ion (gas) tail often points in a different direction because the gases are less massive than the dust/ice, etc and are carried away from the direction of the Sun by the solar wind. There are times when the dust and gas tails coincide, and there are times when they can appear to point in opposite directions from our vantage point. We seen the comets' tails as if they were projected on a 2-D sky, but keep in mind that apart from that X-Y alignment, there are also Z-components (toward or away from us) that we cannot observe.
 
  • #4
Some people don't realize that the tail always points away from the Sun, regardelss of which way the comet is moving. Which means that, when the comet has rounded the sun and is on its way out of the system again, its tail is not a tail at all, it's a ... nose?
 
  • #5
DaveC426913 said:
Some people don't realize that the tail always points away from the Sun, regardelss of which way the comet is moving. Which means that, when the comet has rounded the sun and is on its way out of the system again, its tail is not a tail at all, it's a ... nose?

:P Indeed it is a nose. The ion tail always points directly outwards from the sun, no matter which way the comet is heading (aka towards the sun or away from the sun). While the dust tail (being heavier particulate material) tends to slope downwards and fall towards any local gravitational areas.
 

1. Why does a comet have a dust tail?

Comets are made up of rock, dust, and frozen gases. When a comet travels close to the sun, the heat causes the frozen gases to vaporize, releasing dust particles into space. These particles are then pushed away from the sun by solar wind, creating the comet's dust tail.

2. How long can a comet's dust tail be?

The length of a comet's dust tail depends on the size and composition of the comet, as well as its proximity to the sun. Some comet tails can stretch for millions of kilometers, while others may only be a few hundred kilometers long.

3. Why does the dust tail trail behind the comet?

The dust tail appears to trail behind the comet because of the force of solar wind. As the comet moves away from the sun, the dust particles continue to be pushed away by solar wind, creating a tail that follows behind the comet's orbit.

4. Can the dust tail of a comet change direction?

Yes, the dust tail of a comet can change direction due to the constantly changing direction of solar wind. This can result in a curved or even twisted tail, depending on the comet's trajectory and the strength of solar wind.

5. What causes the dust tail of a comet to disappear?

As a comet moves farther away from the sun, the frozen gases that produce the dust tail will eventually run out. Without the vaporization of these gases, there are no dust particles to be pushed away by solar wind, causing the tail to disappear. Additionally, as the comet moves away from the sun, the solar wind becomes weaker, which also contributes to the disappearance of the dust tail.

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