A comet is a small body made of ice and dust that orbits the Sun. As the comet moves closer to the Sun, it warms up and produces a tail of gas pointing away from the Sun.
A comet consists a solid core consisting or rock, dust, ice, and frozen gases known as a nucleus. The nucleus is surrounded by a thin atmosphere, called a coma, made of water and dust. The coma (and also the tails) can become illuminated by the Sun as the comet moves into the inner atmosphere and closer to the Sun. When the comets are farther away from the Sun, they remain frozen and inactive, making them very difficult to observe. The tails of comets form as they get closer to the Sun. The radiation from the Sun vaporizes some of the comet’s material which forms a stream away from the comet. This stream points away from the Sun.
Comets have been observed for thousands of years. Some of the earliest recorded observations of comets were by Chinese astronomers. Edmond Halley used Isaac Newton's newly developed laws of gravitation and motion to correctly predict the reappearing of a comet. This comet was named after him gaining the name 1p/Halley. Halley’s comet is a comet that is visible from Earth every 74-79 years with the naked eye. It will next be visible from Earth in 2061. Halley’s comet has been associated with many major historical events including the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It appears in the Bayeux Tapestry as the first recorded picture of the comet.
The Rosetta mission, launched by ESA (European Space Agency) on March 2, 2004, was a robotic mission to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, the first attempt made to land on a comet. As part of the Rosetta mission, a lander named Philae landed on the surface in 2014, ten years after the mission was first launched, to analyze the comet's structure. The mission taught us that the water on comets is different than the water found on Earth; it contains a bigger percentage of heavy water. Heavy water is like regular water, but replaces the hydrogen atoms with deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen. This led scientists to believe that the water found on Earth probably didn’t come from comets like 67P. The lander also discovered some carbon-bearing organic compounds, some of which are important in the making of amino acids. Amino acids are a group of chemicals that are very important to life on Earth.
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Engage your class with a hands-on comet model activity
Capture students' interest by building a simple comet model using household items. Visual aids help students understand comet structure and movement while making the lesson memorable.
Gather materials for the comet model
Collect items like cotton balls, aluminum foil, glitter, and string. Prepare these supplies in advance so students can focus on learning and creativity without delays.
Demonstrate how to assemble the comet
Show students how to shape a nucleus using foil, add a tail with string and cotton, and sprinkle glitter for effect. Encourage creativity in their designs to reinforce learning through hands-on experience.
Discuss comet facts during the activity
As students build, share key facts about comets—like their icy composition, orbital paths, and tails. Connect each model part to real comet properties for deeper understanding.
Display and reflect on completed comet models
Invite students to present their models and explain what they learned. Foster discussion about why comets are important in space science to reinforce retention and curiosity.
Frequently Asked Questions about What is a Comet?
What is a comet?
A comet is a small icy body that orbits the Sun. When it gets close to the Sun, its ice and dust heat up, creating a glowing coma and sometimes a bright tail that points away from the Sun.
How are comets different from asteroids?
Comets are made mostly of ice, dust, and gas, while asteroids are rocky or metallic. Comets often have tails when near the Sun, but asteroids do not.
Why do comets have tails?
Comets develop tails when they approach the Sun. The heat causes their ices to turn into gas, releasing dust and forming a glowing tail that always points away from the Sun because of the solar wind.
Where do comets come from?
Most comets come from the Oort Cloud and the Kuiper Belt, which are distant regions at the edge of our solar system full of icy objects.
Can you see comets from Earth?
Yes, some comets can be seen from Earth with the naked eye or a telescope, especially when they pass close to the Sun and become bright. Famous examples include Halley's Comet and Comet NEOWISE.
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