A Brief Understanding of Comets

Comets are astronomical bodies largely comprised of frozen gases, rocks and dusts which orbit the sun in orbital belts scattered across the universe. They've been an astronomical feature in the solar system since its formation.
They contain many compounds which correspond with those found on Earth, such as water. Its name is derived from the word ‘coma’, the name of the nucleus which forms the base of a comet. Their orbit, while predictable, is much more erratic and elliptical than those of planets and moons. Those in orbital belts closest to the sun will complete a full orbit in a few hundred years. A comet develops its bright tail as it passes close enough to the sun for the frozen matter to evaporate and the gases to expand. Within the Solar System, there are approximately 3,500 known comets. This number fluctuates as new comets are discovered and others fragment as they approach the sun.
The most famous of which is Halley’s Comet. Named after Edmund Halley, the first astronomer who confirmed the consistency of a comet’s orbit. Halley’s Comet can therefore be observed once every 75 years and will next pass at a visible distance from Earth in 2061.