Which of the following statements about the tail of a comet is correct?

Question

Question 5 options:

A)

The tail always points toward the sun.

B)

The sun's corona creates the tail of a comet.

C)

The tail always points behind the comet.

D)

The tail always points away from the sun.

Answer 1

The correct statement about the tail of a comet is:

D) The tail always points away from the sun.

Comet tails are formed from gas and dust that are expelled from the comet when it approaches the sun. The solar wind and radiation pressure from the sun push this material away from the comet, causing the tail to point away from the sun regardless of the comet's direction of travel.