SOLAR SYSTEM

Detailed explanation-1: -One is a plasma trail, which draws a straight line like a broomstick. The other is a dust tail, which opens like the bristles on a broom. The plasma tail comprises electrons and ions that are ionized by the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. The dust tail consists of micrometer-scale particles.

Detailed explanation-2: -But alongside it, narrow, straight, and faint, a second, bluish tail can also be seen. These two tails accompany many comets, including comet NEOWISE, and can show us things we might never otherwise see for ourselves about our Solar System. Here’s why there are two of them.

Detailed explanation-3: -Occasionally a third tail is also detected. This neutral tail consists of neutral sodium atoms thought to be released by dust particles in both the coma and the dust tail. All three tails point away from the Sun, which means that after perihelion, they actually ‘lead’ the comet in its orbit.

Detailed explanation-4: -Why do comets have tails? As dust and gases stream away from the nucleus, sunlight and particles coming from the Sun push them into a bright tail that stretches behind the comet for millions of miles. When astronomers look closely, they find that comets actually have two separate tails.

Detailed explanation-5: -Images of comets always seem to future extensive tails trailing behind the main comet body. But do comets always feature such tails? Most of the time, they don’t!