SOLAR SYSTEM

Detailed explanation-1: -From the study of spectrograms, it is known that comets are made largely of compounds of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen. These compounds include water, ammonia, methane, carbon monoxide, and smaller amounts of other, more complex compounds. The dust in comets is composed of silicates and some metals.

Detailed explanation-2: -An asteroid is an object made of rock and metal, while comets are made of rock, ice, and dust. Asteroids can be found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Detailed explanation-3: -Each comet has a tiny frozen part, called a nucleus, often no larger than a few kilometers across. The nucleus contains icy chunks, frozen gases with bits of embedded dust. A comet warms up as it nears the Sun and develops an atmosphere, or coma.

Detailed explanation-4: -The gas (water vapor, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and traces of other substances) and dust forms an “atmosphere” around the nucleus called a “coma.” Material from the coma gets swept into the tail. As comets move close to the Sun, they develop tails of dust and ionized gas.

Detailed explanation-5: -The coma is generally made of ice and comet dust. Water composes up to 90% of the volatiles that outflow from the nucleus when the comet is within 3-4 AU of the Sun.