Characteristics

1.  What happens to a comet when it gets near the sun?

2.  Draw a comet at its perihelion, and include the tail.

3.  Comets are usually seen only in the night sky.  How is it that we see the effect of the sun’s light on a comet, after the sun has set?  (Hint:  what makes the moon shine?)

4.  A comet can lose hundreds, or even thousands of kilograms of material each second as it passes by the sun and forms a dust tail.  Does this mean that comets could eventually disappear?  What do you think, and why? 

5.  Do you think there could be life on a comet?   Why or why not?