Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

To expand on this a little - the solar wind vapourises part of a comet, forming an atmosphere of sorts called a coma (and the characteristic tail) and this atmosphere glows both by reflecting sunlight and by ionisation. So yes, the cometary nucleus hardly reflects any light, but some light is reflected by the coma and the tail.

(see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet#Coma_and_tail, and just above that for details of light reflection from a cometary nucleus)



Consider applying for YC's Fall 2026 batch! Applications are open till July 27.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: