Home > Astronomy > Scale of Earth, Sun, Galaxy, and Universe

When a comet is at perihelion does it have a brighter tail?

Answer 1

The comets are mostly Ice and gas in the form of ice.

The comet's tail should be the largest and brightest when it is closest to the Sun because of the heat, but this depends on the kind of gases and dust in the nucleus and the amount of sublimation that occurs. However, different chemicals sublime at different temperatures, and since the comet may have already lost material, the tail may not be bright at perihelion. Additionally, the angle at which the tail is visible from Earth changes depending on the positron present at that time.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer 2

Leah Abbate

Yes, a comet usually has a brighter tail when it is at perihelion, or its closest point to the Sun, because of increased solar heating that leads to more material vaporizing and forming the tail.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.