Final answer:
Comet tails always point away from the Sun, which is caused by the momentum of photons pushing the dust particles away, and solar radiation affecting ionized gas. Option 3 is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tails of a comet play an intriguing role in understanding cometary physics and solar system dynamics. When considering the orientation of a comet's tail, one crucial aspect is that the tails always point away from the Sun. This phenomenon occurs because the comet tails are made up of gas and dust that evaporate from the comet's body and are ionized. The dust particles are pushed away from the Sun when photons scatter from them.
This scattering demonstrates that photons carry momentum, and part of this momentum is transferred to the dust particles. Additionally, the blue ionized gas tails are formed due to the interaction of solar radiation with the atoms in the comet material, rather than just the momentum of photons.
The tails of a comet always point away from the Sun rather than trailing behind the comet. They are composed of gases and dust evaporated from the body of the comet, as well as ionized gas. The dust particles in the tails recoil away from the Sun when photons scatter from them, which is caused by the momentum carried by the photons. Gas atoms and molecules in the blue tail are mostly affected by radiation particles from the Sun, such as protons and electrons.