Quote:
Originally Posted by worth
So how does a comet do that...is it going supernova? haha, maybe it will condense into a neutron comet.
will the comet still be around tomorrow to take a look? I missed this thread yesterday.
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Sorry, I forgot about this thread.
Large stars go supernova. Comets are very small, only miles across. They are mostly made of ice (hence the nickname "dirty snowballs"). When they come close enough to the Sun (or any star for that matter) the ice begins to melt, and a tail develops. When you look in the sky, you do not see the comet itself, usually just the tail behind it.
And comets are always named after their discoverer(s). Hale-Bopp was named for two guys named Hale and Bopp. Comet Halley (HAL-EE, not HAY-LEE by the way) was named after Edmund Halley. Et cetera.