Science Common Sense

130 - What is the difference between a comet and an asteroid?

Imagine you're looking up at the night sky. A comet and an asteroid are two different objects that you might see.

A comet is like a big ball of ice and dust that orbits the Sun. When it gets close to the Sun, the ice melts, creating a bright tail that you can see from Earth. It's like a big, glowing rocket.

An asteroid is like a rocky planet that's too small to be a planet itself. It orbits the Sun too, but it doesn't melt or create a tail. Asteroids are usually very small and hard to see, like tiny rocks in space.

So, the main difference is that comets have ice that melts and creates a tail, while asteroids are just rocky objects.