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What is a comet?
Comets are celestial bodies in elliptical or parabolic orbits around the Sun. Some originate from the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt, beyond Neptune, and some from the Oort cloud, a spherical shell comprised of millions of bodies at the edge of our solar system. They are small, irregularly shaped bodies composed of a mixture of rock, organic molecules and frozen gases. When in the proximity of the Sun, they are usually characterised by a long tail which is composed of material vapourised off the comet body.
More information about comets can be seen in our vitrual exhibition.
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