komet

Komet is the German word for a comet, a small body of the Solar System composed mainly of ice and dust. As a comet approaches the Sun, solar radiation heats its surface, causing sublimation of ices and the release of gas and dust that forms a surrounding coma and, often, a tail oriented away from the Sun. Comets travel on highly elliptical orbits and are typically classified as short-period (repeating within about 200 years) or long-period. They are thought to originate in distant reservoirs such as the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud.

Structure and observation: A comet’s nucleus, typically a few hundred meters to several tens of kilometers across, is surrounded by the coma, and sometimes a bright tail. The visibility and appearance of a comet depend on its composition, orbit, and distance from the Sun and Earth, with some becoming prominent celestial objects for weeks or months.

Etymology: The term Komet comes from the Greek kometes, meaning long-haired, via Latin and French, and is cognate with the English word comet.

Other uses: In addition to its astronomical meaning, Komet is used as a proper noun in brand names, corporate names, and surnames. In German-speaking countries, several products and organizations adopt the name Komet.