SAT OwlA comet's tail is made of gas and dust pushed outward by sunlight and by the solar wind, a stream of charged particles flowing from the Sun. For this reason, a comet's tail always points away from the Sun, no matter which direction the comet is traveling. A comet that has passed close to the Sun and is now heading back out toward the edge of the solar system will therefore ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
have a tail that points back toward the Sun.
lose its tail as soon as it begins moving away from the Sun.
be moving in roughly the same direction that its tail points.
no longer be pushed by sunlight or the solar wind.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
The tail always points away from the Sun. A comet heading back out is also moving away from the Sun, the same direction its tail points, so the tail leads instead of trailing. That is choice C.
Choice A matches the everyday idea that a tail trails behind, but the text says the tail always points away from the Sun.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. The text says the tail always points away from the Sun, so it can't point back toward the Sun.
- B. The text never says the tail disappears when the comet leaves. It only explains which way the tail points.
- D. The text says the tail points away from the Sun no matter which way the comet travels, so sunlight and the solar wind still act on it.
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