Comet tails are expansions of the coma. Comet tails point away from the Sun, regardless of the direction in which the comet is traveling. Comets have two tails because escaping gas and dust are influenced by the Sun in slightly different ways, and the tails point in slightly different directions.

What are the two tails on a comet called?

A combination of solar radiation pressure and solar wind blow away gas and dust from the comet's nucleus, forming two separate tails: the ion tail and the dust tail.

Why does a comet have a tail?

Comets leave long beautiful tails when they come close to the sun. But when it approaches the sun, the heat evaporates the comet's gases, causing it to emit dust and microparticles (electrons and ions). ... These materials form a tail whose flow is affected by the sun's radiation pressure.