Comet Facts

Did you know that comets are often called “dirty snowballs” because they are made up of ice, dust, and rocky material? As a comet approaches the Sun, the heat causes its ice to vaporize, creating a glowing coma and sometimes a bright tail that stretches for millions of miles. Comets originate from the distant regions of the solar system, such as the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud. Famous comets like Halley’s Comet visit the inner solar system at regular intervals.