Short-Lived Comets

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Have you ever seen a comet and marveled at its beautiful tail?

See, comets are basically balls of ice and dust. They orbit our sun. They get a tail when they pass close to the sun. The sun’s heat causes much of the ice to evaporate, and the dust forms a spectacular tail.

So every time a comet passes the sun, it gets smaller. Eventually there is nothing left. Comets are also destroyed if they get too close to large planets. The gravity of the planet can kick them out of orbit. Or they can even slam into the planet.

Because comets are quickly destroyed, they can’t last long. Yet our solar system is full of them. This confirms a young universe.

Dig Deeper

• Short-Lived Comets
• Feedback: Assuming the Origin of Comets