What's the Difference Between a Comet and an Asteroid?

Imagine a comet like a dirty snowball that gets excited when it comes close to the Sun, it starts to glow and leave a shiny trail behind. An asteroid is more like a rocky space rock that doesn't get as fancy. Comets come from the far reaches of our solar system, while asteroids are usually found closer to us in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

When comets travel near the Sun, they heat up and release gas and dust, creating a glowing tail that we can see from Earth. Asteroids don’t have this special glow, they just look like little rocks floating through space.