Why does a comet's tail point away from the Sun?

Why does a comet's tail point away from the Sun?

• A. Nuclear fusion
• B. Gravity
• C. Magnetic field
• D. Solar wind

Answer: (D)

The material ejected from a comet is carried away from the Sun by outward solar forces, so the tails point away rather than toward the Sun. When the comet gets close to the Sun, ices sublimate and release gas and dust. The ionized gas is swept outward by the solar wind, forming the ion tail that points directly away from the Sun. Dust particles feel sunlight’s radiation pressure, pushing them outward as well and forming the dust tail, which generally follows the same outward direction. Gravity might pull the nucleus toward the Sun, but once material has left the comet, the outward push from the Sun dominates, pulling the tails away. Magnetic fields can influence the shape of the ion tail, but they don’t set the outward direction as strongly as the solar wind and radiation pressure.

The material ejected from a comet is carried away from the Sun by outward solar forces, so the tails point away rather than toward the Sun. When the comet gets close to the Sun, ices sublimate and release gas and dust. The ionized gas is swept outward by the solar wind, forming the ion tail that points directly away from the Sun. Dust particles feel sunlight’s radiation pressure, pushing them outward as well and forming the dust tail, which generally follows the same outward direction. Gravity might pull the nucleus toward the Sun, but once material has left the comet, the outward push from the Sun dominates, pulling the tails away. Magnetic fields can influence the shape of the ion tail, but they don’t set the outward direction as strongly as the solar wind and radiation pressure.