// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Comet
A cosmic snowball of ice, dust, and rock that orbits the Sun, developing a glowing coma and a long tail when it gets close to the Sun.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
A comet is a celestial body composed of ice, dust, and rocky particles, originating from the Kuiper Belt or Oort Cloud, that develops a visible coma and tail when heated by the Sun's radiation and solar wind.
BACKGROUND
The de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited was a British aviation manufacturer established in late 1920 by Geoffrey de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome Edgware on the outskirts of North London. Operations were later moved to Hatfield in Hertfordshire.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Dirty snowball
- icy body
- tailed star
USAGE NOTE
Comets provide clues about the early solar system's composition and the delivery of water to Earth.