Author: iamdefinitory

ION TAIL – A straight, bluish tail formed from ionized gases, always directed away from the Sun by the solar wind.

COMA – A temporary, glowing envelope of gas and dust around a comet’s nucleus.

NUCLEUS – The solid, frozen core of a comet made of rock, dust, and ice.

COMET – A small icy body that orbits the Sun and forms a glowing coma and tail as it nears the Sun.

ASTEROID VS DWARF PLANET – While both may orbit the Sun, dwarf planets are large enough to be spherical, unlike most asteroids.

GAS ESCAPE IN DWARF PLANETS – Due to low gravity, dwarf planets can lose atmosphere to space.

DISCOVERY OF ERIS – Triggered debate and ultimately led to Pluto’s reclassification.

EQUILIBRIUM SHAPE – The shape achieved when an object’s self-gravity balances internal pressures, typically spheroidal in planets and dwarf planets.

ICE-RICH COMPOSITION – Many dwarf planets contain significant amounts of water, methane, or ammonia ices.