Here's what actually happens:
* Comets have two tails: A dust tail and an ion tail.
* The dust tail is pushed away from the Sun by radiation pressure: The Sun's light exerts a tiny pressure on the dust particles, pushing them away. This is why the dust tail usually trails behind the comet as it orbits the Sun.
* The ion tail is pushed away by solar wind: The Sun constantly emits a stream of charged particles called the solar wind. This wind interacts with the ions in the comet's coma, creating an ion tail that always points directly *away* from the Sun.
Therefore, the dust tail usually points slightly behind the comet, while the ion tail points directly away from the Sun, regardless of the comet's direction of travel.
So, while the ion tail does always point away from the Sun, it's important to remember that comets have two tails, and their orientation can vary depending on the comet's movement and the direction of the solar wind.
