Question

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

The tail always points away from the sun.
B)

The tail always points toward the sun.
C)

The tail always points behind the comet.
D)

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

Answer 1

A) The tail always points away from the Sun.

Explanation: Solar radiation pressure and the solar wind push dust and ionized gas off the comet’s coma, so the ion tail points roughly directly away from the Sun. The dust tail is curved (falls behind the comet’s path) because dust particles have inertia, but it is still driven away from the Sun overall. The Sun’s corona does not create the tail.