When is a comet's tail typically visible?

A comet's tail is typically visible when the comet is close enough to the Sun. This occurs because solar radiation and solar wind interact with the comet's nucleus, which is primarily composed of ice, dust, and gas. As the comet approaches the Sun, the heat causes the ices to sublimate, releasing gas and dust into space. This process creates the distinctive tail that we associate with comets.

The tail of a comet always points away from the Sun, regardless of the direction of the comet's travel, as the solar wind blows the gas and dust away. The visibility of the tail is fundamentally linked to the comet’s proximity to the Sun, which provides the necessary energy to drive the sublimation process. Therefore, the presence of the tail is not attributed to its location within the asteroid belt, the Earth's vantage point, or its position in the Oort cloud, but rather its interaction with solar energy when close to the Sun.