What exactly is a comet?Ĭomets are leftover material from the formation of the solar system. I still get excited when one comes into view. They’re unpredictable, and they often go undetected until they get close to the Sun. Nothing piques people’s interest in Earth’s place in the universe quite like comets. But what are these special celestial objects made of? Where do they come from, and why do they have such long tails?Īs a planetarium director, I spend most of my time getting people excited about and interested in space. You may have a family member who saw a comet before you were born, or you may have seen one yourself when comet Nishimura passed by Earth in September 2023. When you hear the word comet, you might imagine a bright streak moving across the sky. ( Editor’s note: This article was first published on The Conversation.) This image was taken September 6 from Martinsberg, Lower Austria, and shows the comet's reddish sodium tail (a vertical red line near the lower left corner of the image). Comet Nishimura has quickly brightened and developed a long, beautiful tail.
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