Comets
Comets are icy, small solar system bodies that, when passing close to the Sun, warm up and begin to outgas, displaying a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind acting upon the comet's nucleus. The debris shed by comets, like Halley's Comet, can lead to meteor showers when Earth's orbit intersects with these trails.
In the news
- Orionid Meteor Shower: How to Watch Debris from Halley's Comet Comets are icy, small solar system bodies that, when passing close to the Sun, warm up and begin to outgas, displaying a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind acting upon the comet's nucleus. The debris shed by comets, like Halley's Comet, can lead to meteor showers when Earth's orbit intersects with these trails.