Final answer:
Comets in our solar system are ancient, icy objects often originating from the Oort Cloud or Kuiper Belt, but some even come from interstellar space. There could be up to 10 trillion such objects with a total mass comparable to all planets combined, making them a key component of the solar system.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Comets in Our Solar System
Comets are among the most primitive and unchanged objects in the solar system, stored in the deep freeze of the outer reaches beyond the planets. These icy bodies, primarily comprised of water ice, orbit the Sun and can become visible when they approach it, forming a temporary atmosphere due to their icy composition. Although comets are often associated with the Kuiper Belt or the Oort Cloud, we have also discovered interstellar comets like 1I/'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov that hail from beyond our solar system.
Astronomers have estimated a staggering trillion comets within the Oort Cloud, and potentially ten times as many icy objects exist in the space between the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud. These objects remain largely undetected, too faint to be observed directly and with orbits too stable to bring them close to the Sun.
Comets differ from asteroids in their icy nature, which is why they shine brightly and develop tails when nearing the Sun. Historically, comets were thought to be bad omens but are now eagerly anticipated phenomena for astronomers and skywatchers alike. Additionally, cometary material is a significant constituent of the solar system, with the total mass of cometary objects possibly equaling that of a thousand Earths.