Final answer:
The direction of the comet's ion tail points away from the Sun, indicating that it is directly influenced by the solar wind, unlike the dust tail which spreads out and curves along the comet's orbit.
Step-by-step explanation:
Relative to the comet, the direction of the ion tail tells us about the influence of the solar wind on the comet's particles. The ion tail of a comet always points directly away from the Sun, which indicates that it is shaped by the solar wind—a stream of charged particles, such as protons and electrons, emitted by the Sun.
Unlike the dust tail, which curves and spreads out along the comet's orbit, the ion tail is more straight because it is influenced primarily by this solar wind, not by the momentum of photons that affect the dust particles.
The clear separation in behavior between the dust tail and the ion tail provides us with insight into the character of solar radiation and the interactions between the Sun's emissions and comet material.