What Makes a ‘Comet’ Different from an Asteroid?

Comets are like icy snowballs that travel through space, and when they get close to the Sun, their ice turns into gas and dust, making them glow. Asteroids, on the other hand, are more like rocky lumps that don’t have much ice. So comets shine and sparkle when they come near the Sun, while asteroids just look plain.

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A comet is like a snowball that shines when it gets close to the Sun, while an asteroid is more like a rock that doesn’t sparkle.
Comets leave glowing tails behind them, but asteroids just pass by without any show.
If you saw something bright streaking across the sky with a tail, it’s probably a comet, if not, it might be an asteroid.

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Categories: Space · comets,asteroids,space objects