Can a comet have two tails but pointing in opposite directions?
A comet can have more than one tail and the two tails point in opposite directions. In November 1956, two Belgian astronomers spotted Comet Arend-Ronald. In April 1957, it appeared very strange. It appeared to have two tails pointing in opposite directions! This was very unusual. A comets tail normally points away from the Sun because of the solar pressure. This comets tail was pointing away from the Sun, but it was also pointing straight toward the Sun, too! Scientists later realized that the tail could only stay like that for so long, and then it would turn back to normal. Scientists think the comet had two tails because dust particles got in the way of the comets orbit. Do Comet’s Disintegrate? Comets do disintegrate. When a comet goes near the sun, it causes a tremendous strain. When this happens, it disintegrates. Sometimes, when it comes close to the Sun, the nucleus splits up into different parts. When that happens, it forms into other comets. For example, the Great Comet went w
