UNIVERSE
COMETS
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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toward the sun
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away from the sun
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at a 45 degree angle to the sun
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toward the center of the galaxy
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Detailed explanation-1: -Comet tails will always point away from the sun because of the radiation pressure of sunlight. The force from sunlight on the small dust particles pushing them away from the sun is greater than the force of gravity acting in the direction toward the sun.
Detailed explanation-2: -Comet tails come in two flavors: the ion tail and the dust tail. The ion tail is thin, blue and linear-points directly away from the Sun.
Detailed explanation-3: -When far from the sun, a comet is like a stone rolling around the universe. But when it approaches the sun, the heat evaporates the comet’s gases, causing it to emit dust and microparticles (electrons and ions). These materials form a tail whose flow is affected by the sun’s radiation pressure.