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545: Weird Issues: Are comets asteroids or are asteroids comets? Astronomy Cast 545: Weird Issues: Are comets asteroids or are asteroids comets? by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Things used to be so simple. Comets were snowballs from the outer Solar System, and asteroids were rocks from the inner Solar System. But now everything's all shades of grey. Astronomers have found asteroids that behave like comets and comets that behave like asteroids.
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    Comets and asteroids are both celestial bodies, but they have distinct characteristics. While comets are often referred to as "dirty snowballs" due to their icy composition and visible tails when near the Sun, asteroids tend to be rocky or metallic. The debate about whether one is truly a comet or an asteroid often comes down to what we observe and measure at the time of discovery. 🌌
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