GK
SOLAR SYSTEM
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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Which statement is true about a comet?
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Its tail is always present no matter where it is in the solar system.
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It is smaller than meteor.
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Its tail forms as it approaches the sun and always blows away from the sun.
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Its tail forms in the Oort cloud and always blows towards the sun.
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Explanation:
Detailed explanation-1: -Comet tails are produced through interaction with either the solar wind or photons of sunlight. This means that they always point away from the direction of the Sun and hence, after perihelion, they lead the comet in its orbit. Comets typically show 2 main tails.
Detailed explanation-2: -Comet tails get longer as a comet approaches the sun and can end up millions of miles long (opens in new tab). The dust tail is formed when solar wind pushes small particles in the coma into an elongated curved path. Whereas the ion tail is formed from electrically charged molecules of gas.
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