What Causes a Comet to Shine Brightly?

Comets shine because they get warm when they go near the sun. Imagine you're wearing a cloak made of ice and dirt, that's what a comet is like. When it gets close to the sun, the ice starts to melt and turns into gas, which creates a glowing tail that we can see from Earth.

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Examples

A comet looks like it's wearing a glowing cloak as it moves near the sun.
It’s like a snowball melting and catching fire in the sunlight.
When it gets warm, the comet lights up the sky like a giant fireworks show.

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Categories: Space · comet,space phenomena,solar system