The tail of a comet always points:
A)toward the Sun and disappears at perihelion.
B)toward Earth and never varies.
C)away from the Sun and disappears at perihelion.
D)away from the Sun and becomes longest and brightest at perihelion.
E)in the direction of the comet's motion.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The tail of a comet always points away from the Sun due to the solar wind. As the comet gets closer to the Sun at perihelion, the solar wind becomes stronger and causes the tail to become longer and brighter. Therefore, the tail disappears at perihelion, but it points away from the Sun and becomes brightest at that time.

The Tail of a Comet Always Points