Solved cryptogram
A comet's tail does not trail behind it. It points away from the sun, even on the way out.
Astronomy Facts, sourced to NASA.
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This fact is a cryptogram here: 68 letters over 20 different ones, graded medium.
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What it means
The tail is not exhaust and has nothing to do with the direction of travel. Sunlight and the solar wind blow gas and dust off the nucleus and push them outward, so the tail always lies on the far side from the sun. On the inbound leg it streams behind, and on the outbound leg it runs ahead of the comet like a windsock. There are usually two tails, one of dust that curves and one of ionized gas that does not.
The claim comes from NASA.
- SourceNASA
- CollectionAstronomy Facts
- Difficultymedium
- Length68 letters, 20 of them different
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