Observing the Tails of Comets: What to Look For and Record

Abstract

Although the characteristic feature of a comet is really the coma, in the popular mind it is surely the tail. This is not surprising, of course, as the tail of a comet (although not always present or, at least, not always visible) can be that object’s most spectacular attribute. Comet tails may be short, faint and inconspicuous or they may be magnificent streamers of light extending for many degrees away from the coma.