Comet Lulin tail disconnection??

Liz · #1 05-02-2009, 09:45 AM

Wow,has anyone heard about this?

http://www.fototime.com/%7B326138E5-...7D/picture.JPG

http://remanzacco.blogspot.com/2009/...ion-event.html

glenc (Glen) · #2 05-02-2009, 06:17 PM

Thanks Liz, interesting.

[1ponders] (Paul) · #3 05-02-2009, 06:42 PM

Excellent, thank Liz.

Liz · #4 07-02-2009, 03:50 PM

Interesting stuff indeed.... there are some gorgeous pics out there of the comet with Alpha Librae, and sporting all its tails ..... seems it has regrown its ion tail.

On this site from Martin McKenna in Ireland (great site) .. there is a lovely pic by Rolando Ligustri of Comet Lulin.

http://www.nightskyhunter.com/Sky%20Events%20Now.html

Matty P (Matt) · #5 07-02-2009, 08:51 PM

Very interesting Liz. Thanks for the links.

cookie8 (Vincent) · #6 07-02-2009, 09:51 PM

Thanks Liz. Lovely images in that site

glenc (Glen) · #7 08-02-2009, 05:38 AM

APOD shows the tail break too. http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ima...brimacombe.jpg

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #8 08-02-2009, 11:20 AM

Thanks Liz.
Great APOD pic!

Outbackmanyep · #9 14-02-2009, 10:10 PM

The Disconnection event happens when the charged particles from the solar wind change polarity, the like charges are repelled giving the effect of disconnection, so until the ions are reformed with the opposite polarity will the ion tail grow back again.This usually happens when the comet crosses a section of the Heliospheric Current Sheet which spirals out from the Sun.
There was a very good avi of 2P/ Encke losing its tail taken by a spacecraft last year or the year before.....