Tails of Comet Lemmon . ... Credit Copyright: Gerald Rhemann Explanation: What caused the interestingly intricate tails that Comet Lemmon displayed earlier this year? First of all, just about every comet that nears the Sun displays two tails: a dust tail and an ion tail . Comet Lemmon 's dust tail, visible above and around the comet nucleus in off-white, is produced by sun-light reflecting dust shed by the comet's heated nucleus . ... NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers . ...