do comets have an eccentric orbit?
Comets Comets have a very small nucleus, a coma of gas and dust that is the most visible part and can be very large, a hydrogen envelope, a dust tail, and an ion tail. Comets ï§The cometâs tail always points away from the Sun, driven by the solar wind and radiation pressure. ï§ Comets have very eccentric orbits. ï§ Long-period comets (C/) have periods of hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of years. ï§ Short-period comets (P/) are less common, and have periods of less than 200 years.