Whats is the difference between asteroids and comets ? 1. Asteroids are small rocky planetoids, while comets are formed of frozen gases held together by rocky and metallic material. 2. Asteroids are found mostly between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars, while comets are found mostly between Venus and Mercury. 3. Comets show a perceptible glowing tail, while asteroids do not. Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

Statement 1 is correct as asteroids are rocky planetoids, whereas comets are composed of frozen gases, ice, and dust held together by rocky and metallic minerals [4]. Statement 2 is incorrect; while asteroids are primarily found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter [5], comets originate in the distant Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud, far beyond the inner planets [3]. Statement 3 is correct because comets develop a perceptible glowing tail (and coma) through sublimation as they approach the Sun. In contrast, asteroids generally do not exhibit such tails. Therefore, only statements 1 and 3 are accurate descriptions of the differences between these celestial bodies.

Sources

1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 2: The Solar System > UPSC Prelims 2011] What is difference between asteroids and comets? > p. 35
2. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 2: The Solar System > Asteroid Belt > p. 32
3. [4] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 2: The Solar System > The Formation of the Planets > p. 18
4. [5] https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/asteroid-or-meteor/en/