Science Common Sense

579 - What are comets, and how do they differ from asteroids?

Comets and asteroids are both objects in our solar system, but they're different in some ways.

Comets: Comets are like icy balls that orbit the Sun. When they get close to the Sun, the ice melts and creates a bright tail of gas and dust that we can see from Earth. They're usually made of ice, dust, and sometimes small rocks.

Asteroids: Asteroids are like small, rocky planets that also orbit the Sun. They're mostly made of rock and metal, and they don't have a tail like comets do. Asteroids are also much smaller than planets.

The main difference between comets and asteroids is what they're made of and how they look. Comets are icy and have a bright tail, while asteroids are rocky and don't have a tail.