: a celestial body that appears as a fuzzy head usually surrounding a bright nucleus, that has a usually highly eccentric orbit, that consists primarily of ice and dust, and that often develops one or more long tails when near the sun
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The comet Lovejoy, which reached its perihelion in Dec. 2011, remains the only Kreutz Path comet to have survived its brush with the sun.
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Max Hauptman, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
For space enthusiasts:James Webb Space Telescope reveals Milky Way stars being born
Where is the Atlas comet 2024?
—Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 31 Oct. 2024
Named after the German astronomer Heinrich Kreutz, who first studied them in the 19th century, these comets are thought to be fragments of a single large comet that broke apart several centuries ago.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Fortunately, the Halloween comet has potential to be spotted with the naked eye.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
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Max Hauptman, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
For space enthusiasts:James Webb Space Telescope reveals Milky Way stars being born
Where is the Atlas comet 2024?
—Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 31 Oct. 2024
Named after the German astronomer Heinrich Kreutz, who first studied them in the 19th century, these comets are thought to be fragments of a single large comet that broke apart several centuries ago.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Fortunately, the Halloween comet has potential to be spotted with the naked eye.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for comet
Dictionary Entries Near comet
Cite this Entry
“Comet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comet. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
comet
noun
com·et
ˈkäm-ət 
: a bright heavenly body that develops a cloudy tail as it moves closer to the sun in its orbit
Etymology
Old English cometa "comet," from Latin cometa (same meaning), from Greek komētēs, literally, "long-haired," derived from komē "hair" — related to coma entry 2
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