Ya know what you get if you slice a cone
parallel to the edge?
Our old friend the parabola!
Here's what makes the parabola special --
geometry-wise:
The green dot is a focus.
Just like with ellipses, the focus is a special
place...
Some comets shoot through our solar
system along parabolic paths with the Sun at the focus.
Notice how the comet speeds up as it
gets closer to the Sun... It's a gravity thing!
(And, no, I didn't screw up on the
comet's tail. The solar wind always blows the tail away from the
Sun. By the way, I highly recommend that you take an astronomy
class in college. You'll love it!)
