The ion tail of comet Leonard shines brightly in the solar wind for one farewell show.
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| pixabay.com |
The comet is currently traveling through the solar system in an outward direction.
It's ending, but not before putting on one more performance.
Technically known as Comet C/2021 A1, the comet was discovered only a year ago and reached its closest approach to Earth on Dec. 12, capping off a month of excellent viewing possibilities. A shift has occurred in the tail of the comet, which now resembles twisted streamers, even as the core of the comet has become brighter and more visible.
An astronomer who studies comets at the University of Maryland tells Space.com that "somehow it decided to return to life and release a few outbursts that reversed the fading trend," he says.
It is common knowledge that comets are notoriously difficult to anticipate, and Comet Leonard is no exception. Scientists were intrigued by the comet when it was originally discovered in January 2021 for two main reasons: In a unique journey from the solar system's outer reaches, it would come dangerously near the sun and Earth.
Comet Leonard was expected to be a remarkable addition to the year's observing chances thanks to the pair of close encounters it received from Earth. Comet Leonard, on the other hand, did not brighten as quickly as projected before its December approach.
It is common knowledge that a comet will brighten as it gets closer to the sun and as it gets closer to Earth because of the shrinking distance and increased material loss caused by the rising temperatures. Although this tendency held for Comet Leonard, it didn't last long for him. However, the fact that it was getting closer made it appear brighter. The comet diminished in terms of its inherent features.
The tail of Comet Leonard varied dramatically as it approached the sun, drawing the attention of skywatchers.
The solar wind, a constantly flowing stream of charged plasma particles from the sun, is responsible for the new show. In addition to the ion tail, comets have a dust tail. Comet ion tails are particularly vulnerable to solar wind and interplanetary space magnetic field shaping because ions are charged particles.
According to Ye, the visual effects we witness here result from the solar wind's influence. "The ion tail is responsible for much of the intriguing effects we observe in the images."
The ion tail of Comet Leonard was already in the sights of astronomers by chance. During the December fading phase, astronomers wondered if the comet might break apart, as indicated by the ion tail's loss.
Even though it isn't the case, there is a good chance that the solar wind is to blame for the comet's current success.
Leonard, the closest comet to the sun, passed within 56 million miles (90 million kilometers) of the sun on Monday (Jan. 3). (The Earth's distance from the sun is approximately 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers.)
The comet is now hurling itself across the solar system at breakneck speed. It will be roughly the same distance from the sun as Jupiter when it is first discovered early next year, which was about its distance when astronomers originally discovered it. And while Comet Leonard has previously flown past the sun, it will never do so again as its journey takes it outside the solar system into interstellar space this year.
Observers in the northern hemisphere have found Comet Leonard an excellent target, but it is getting more difficult to spot. Skywatchers further south than Washington, D.C., is currently spotting it low in the southwest sky just before sunset. By the middle of January, Comet Leonard will only be visible in the sky above the continental United States during daylight hours.
Image source : https://pixabay.com/id/illustrations/tata-surya-planet-sistem-planet-11111/
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