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Solar Hurricane Rips Off Comet's Tail

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the cited-for-comet-abuse dept.

coondoggie writes to mention that NASA recently captured images of a solar hurricane ripping the tail off Encke's comet. "In a release, NASA said preliminary analysis suggests that the tail was ripped away when magnetic fields bumped together in an explosive process called "magnetic reconnection." Oppositely directed magnetic fields around the comet "bumped into each" by the magnetic fields in the hurricane. Suddenly, these fields linked together--they "reconnected"--releasing a burst of energy that tore off the comet's tail. A similar process takes place in Earth's magnetosphere during geomagnetic storms fueling, among other things, the Northern Lights, NASA said."

3 of 105 comments (clear)

  1. Wonder what the RF signature of that was like by Nefarious+Wheel · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Don't you get a rather large electrical field when a magnetic field like that collapses? Should be an amazing radio source.

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    1. Re:Wonder what the RF signature of that was like by The_Wilschon · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Precisely. Magnetic reconnection releases a tremendous amount of energy, most of it in the form of EM radiation. It is the phenomenon responsible for, IIRC, many (most?) solar weather events, perhaps most notably solar flares.

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  2. Spaceweather.com has... by Assassin+bug · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ... an animated GIF that is kind of nifty. I bet if that CME hit earth containing a comet tail the light show would be impressive!