The mysterious band in the tail of a comet "Neowiz"

Comet "Neowiz" manifests itself as a characteristic for the large comet way — she had simultaneous bands. Large (great) referred to the comet which becomes particularly bright to observers on Earth. Such comets can be observed in the sky approximately every 10 years.

Strip (also known as "stretch marks") separate the tail into two areas of different densities. According to who made the Chris cook from Massachusetts, observers in the Northern hemisphere, the comet is visible in all its splendor. This image is a series of 30 exposures made July 15. It demonstrates synchronous bands in the dust tail.

Band noticed in the tails of comets many centuries, but only recently astronomers have lifted the veil of this mystery. In 2007, space probes observed the formation of bands in the comet McNaught (C/2006 P1). Apparently, the process occurs when fragments of the comet, separated from own kernel. They are broken down into smaller parts — thus under the influence of solar radiation appear in long furrow of dust.

When Ollie Price from University College London studied pictures of the bands of comet McNaught, he noticed some oddities — like strip sometimes twisted and destroyed. Price and his colleagues found that this happened when the comet crossing the heliospheric current layer — a huge wavy structure in the interplanetary space, crossing which changes the polarity of the magnetic field.

Probably, the dust can be electrically charged and rebuilt, when crosses the boundary of this layer.

Could this happen with the comet "Neowiz"? Only time will tell.

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»