How do comets and asteroids differ?

The main difference between asteroids and comets is their composition, as in, what they are made of. Asteroids are made up of metals and rocky material, while comets are made up of ice, dust and rocky material. Both asteroids and comets were formed early in the history of the solar system about 4.5 billion years ago. read more

The biggest difference between comets and asteroids, however, is what they are made of. While asteroids consist of metals and rocky material, comets are made up of ice, dust, rocky materials and organic compounds. When comets get closer to the Sun, they lose material with each orbit because some of their ice melts and vaporizes. read more

All comets orbit the Sun in the same direction as the planets. false 8) The more massive planets in the solar system tend to be less dense than the lower mass planets. read more