how do comets move
Comets move in long, often very stretched-out orbits around the Sun, speeding up as they swing close to it and slowing down as they travel far away into deep space. Their paths are controlled mainly by gravity from the Sun (and sometimes giant planets like Jupiter), not by any “engine” or pushing force on the comet itself.
Basic motion
- Comets follow elliptical (oval-shaped) or sometimes even parabolic or hyperbolic paths, with the Sun near one focus of the orbit.
- In these orbits, they spend most of their time far from the Sun moving slowly, then “dive in,” whip around the Sun quickly, and head back out again.
Why their speed changes
- When a comet is far from the Sun, the Sun’s pull is weaker, so the comet moves more slowly.
- As it falls inward, the Sun’s gravity accelerates it, so it can move extremely fast near its closest point to the Sun and then gradually slow again as it climbs back out.
Where their journeys start
- Many comets come from the Kuiper Belt or the distant Oort Cloud, icy regions at the edge of the Solar System where comets orbit quietly until something disturbs them.
- A nudge from a passing star or a big planet can send a comet into a new orbit that brings it into the inner Solar System, where we can see it.
Tails and direction
- As a comet nears the Sun, its ice turns to gas, creating a glowing coma and long tails of gas and dust. This is a side-effect of heating, not what drives the motion.
- The tails are pushed away from the Sun by sunlight and the solar wind, so a comet’s tail always points roughly away from the Sun, no matter which way the comet is traveling.
Role of planets
- Giant planets, especially Jupiter , can bend a comet’s path, shorten or lengthen its orbital period, or even fling it out of the Solar System entirely.
- Some comets become “sungrazers,” passing so close to the Sun that they break apart or evaporate instead of continuing on another orbit.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.