Comet vs. Asteroid: What's the Difference?
Read the comparison below, or explore it visually. Create a visual lesson comparing comet and asteroid using available credits or plan allowance.
Comets and asteroids are both leftovers from the early Solar System, but they're made of different stuff and come from different places. A comet is mostly ice and dust that vaporizes into a glowing tail when it nears the Sun; an asteroid is mostly rock and metal that stays solid and tail-less.
At a glance
| Comet | Asteroid | |
|---|---|---|
| Made of | Ice, dust, frozen gases | Rock and metal |
| Tail | Yes — glows near the Sun | No tail |
| Origin | Outer Solar System (cold, distant) | Mostly the asteroid belt |
| Orbit | Often long and stretched | Usually more circular, inner system |
| Looks like | Fuzzy glow with a tail | A faint point of light |
Which should you use?
You're looking at a comet when an object grows a bright coma and tail as it approaches the Sun — the heat turns its ice straight to gas, releasing dust that catches sunlight.
You're looking at an asteroid when the object stays a compact, rocky body with no tail — most orbit the Sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.