what is the appearance of a comet?

Question

help!

Answer 1

Comets are not usually easy to see. The good news is that they move slowly enough to be seen over weeks or months.
When comets are approaching the inner solar system, still far beyong the earth's orbit, they look like vague, ill-defined smudges of light in telescopes. Messier discovered many objects he thought were comets, but they turned out to be nebulae and distant clusters and galaxies. (Though he was interested in comets, the discovery of these other objects was cosmologically far more significant.)
As comets move closer to the sun, their gas tails get longer and they are easier to see as they are closer to us and getting brighter because of the sun's illumination. The normally icy nucleus of the comet will iridesce because of interaction with solar "wind."
Comets never get extremely bright, like some meteors. Astronomers are good at telling when they will appear and how bright they will be.

Answer 2

Hi. Usually just a smallish cloud-like ball. Some are much more spectacular with dust and gas tails. Google 'Hale Bopp"

Answer 3

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