Comets

4072 TRACKED

Ice and dust on long orbits, growing a tail only when the Sun gets close enough to boil them.

RANKED LISTS
Largest▸
167P/CINEOS — 33.09 km
TOP 25
PRIMER — 60 SECONDS

Why the tail points away from the Sun

It is not trailing behind the motion — solar wind and radiation pressure push it directly away from the Sun, so an outbound comet flies tail-first.

Where they come from

Short-period comets from the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune; long-period ones from the Oort Cloud, a shell reaching a fair fraction of the way to the nearest star.

[

THE FAMOUS ONES

] 5 ENTRIES
NAME
CLASS
MASS
DISTANCE
MAG
CONSTELLATION
C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp)★
Comet
—
177.4 AU · Sun
—
—
1P/Halley★
Halley-type comet
—
17.93 AU · Sun
—
—
9P/Tempel 1★
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.146 AU · Sun
—
—
2P/Encke★
Encke-type comet
—
2.22 AU · Sun
—
—
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko★
Jupiter-family comet
9.92×10¹² kg
3.462 AU · Sun
—
—
ALL CLASSESPARABOLIC COMET · 1763JUPITER-FAMILY COMET · 846COMET · 731HYPERBOLIC COMET · 520HALLEY-TYPE COMET · 111ENCKE-TYPE COMET · 79CHIRON-TYPE COMET · 22
NAME▲
CLASS
MASS
DISTANCE
MAG
CONSTELLATION
68P/Klemola
Jupiter-family comet
—
4.899 AU · Sun
—
—
69P/Taylor
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.889 AU · Sun
—
—
6P/d'Arrest
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.497 AU · Sun
—
—
70P/Kojima
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.674 AU · Sun
—
—
71P/Clark
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.139 AU · Sun
—
—
72P/Denning-Fujikawa
Jupiter-family comet
—
4.347 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.093 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-A
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.067 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AA
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.941 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AB
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.042 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AC
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.083 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AD
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.068 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AE
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.096 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AF
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.908 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AG
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.087 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AH
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.075 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AI
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.111 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AJ
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.786 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AK
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.058 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AL
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.128 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AM
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.036 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AN
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.076 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AO
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.072 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AP
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.144 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AQ
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.088 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AR
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.087 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AS
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.141 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AT
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.001 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AU
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.058 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AV
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.062 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AW
Encke-type comet
—
2.678 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AX
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.05 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AY
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.8 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-AZ
Encke-type comet
—
2.647 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-B
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.062 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BA
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.961 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BB
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.968 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BC
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.134 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BD
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.979 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BE
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.958 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BF
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.989 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BG
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.98 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BH
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.959 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BI
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.96 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BJ
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.041 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BK
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.045 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BL
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.091 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BM
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.959 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BN
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.047 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BO
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.048 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BP
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.96 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BQ
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.054 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BR
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.984 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BS
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.115 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BT
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.092 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BU
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.888 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BV
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.134 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BW
Jupiter-family comet
—
4.502 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BX
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.13 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-BY
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.034 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-C
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.063 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-E
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.062 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-G
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.063 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-H
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.065 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-J
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.044 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-K
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.064 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-L
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.076 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-M
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.068 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-N
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.052 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-P
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.085 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-Q
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.118 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-R
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.07 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-S
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.334 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-T
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.061 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-U
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.024 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-V
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.002 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-W
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.112 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-X
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.077 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-Y
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.332 AU · Sun
—
—
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-Z
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.073 AU · Sun
—
—
74P/Smirnova-Chernykh
Encke-type comet
—
4.165 AU · Sun
—
—
75D/Kohoutek
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.543 AU · Sun
—
—
76P/West-Kohoutek-Ikemura
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.47 AU · Sun
—
—
77P/Longmore
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.613 AU · Sun
—
—
78P/Gehrels 2
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.738 AU · Sun
—
—
79P/du Toit-Hartley
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.031 AU · Sun
—
—
79P/du Toit-Hartley-A
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.004 AU · Sun
—
—
79P/du Toit-Hartley-B
Jupiter-family comet
—
2.981 AU · Sun
—
—
7P/Pons-Winnecke
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.419 AU · Sun
—
—
80P/Peters-Hartley
Jupiter-family comet
—
4.023 AU · Sun
—
—
81P/Wild 2
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.45 AU · Sun
—
—
82P/Gehrels 3
Encke-type comet
—
4.135 AU · Sun
—
—
83D/Russell 1
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.338 AU · Sun
—
—
84P/Giclas
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.582 AU · Sun
—
—
85D/Boethin
Jupiter-family comet
—
5.185 AU · Sun
—
—
86P/Wild 3
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.605 AU · Sun
—
—
87P/Bus
Encke-type comet
—
3.441 AU · Sun
—
—
88P/Howell
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.105 AU · Sun
—
—
89P/Russell 2
Jupiter-family comet
—
3.753 AU · Sun
—
—
8P/Tuttle
Jupiter-family comet
—
5.7 AU · Sun
—
—