What process creates the temporary atmosphere, or coma, when comets approach the Sun?
Answer
Outgassing
The visibility of a comet stems from a specific thermal process that occurs when its highly eccentric orbit carries it close enough to the Sun to cause heating. This heating triggers the rapid vaporization of volatile ices contained within the comet's nucleus. This vaporization process is specifically termed outgassing. The release of these gases and dust particles creates a temporary, gravitationally unbound atmosphere surrounding the nucleus, which is known as the coma, and frequently results in the development of the comet's iconic tail structure.
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