Which of the following statements about the tails of comets is FALSE?
A) the tail always points away from the Sun
B) some comets have both a gas tail and a dust tail
C) the tail of a comet can sometimes be ahead of the comet in its orbit
D) a comet always has a nice long tail, even when it is far from the Sun
E) the Earth can pass through the tail of a comet without suffering any harm

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Option D is false because a comet's tail only becomes visible when it is close to the Sun, because the heat causes the gas and dust to form a tail that reflects sunlight. When it is far from the Sun, a comet may not have a visible tail.

Which of the Following Statements About the Tails of Comets