Have you ever wondered how a comet's tail can change? One way to find out is in NASA's spotlight, which shows changes in the tail of comet 12P/Pons-Brooks
April 8
2024
– 21:00.
(Updated 4/9/2024 at 7:06 AM)
Tail Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks (or 12P only) It has already undergone several changes, and you can see them in the image marked with it NASA This Monday (8). The image is a collection of images of the comet taken between March 6 and 14, revealing some of the processes that 12P has undergone.
The image shows that 12P's tail was relatively large and complex on some days; In other cases, it seemed more widespread. These differences are related to various factors, such as the rate at which the comet's nucleus loses material.
Another factor is the comet's rotation rate. Moreover, it is necessary to take into account strength and complexity Solar windWhich consists of electrically charged particles coming from the sun.
If you look closely, you'll notice that the sequence of images also reveals changes in the comet's position relative to our viewing perspective on Earth.
Also called Devil's Comet, 12P may be visible to observers in the northern and northeastern regions of Brazil. In fact, 12P would have completed the show Solar eclipse todayseen in North and Central America.
What is a comet?
12P and other comets are large bodies of ice and dust, which is why they are also known as “dirty ice balls.” It is leftover Solar system formation.
One of their most famous features is their two-structured tails. One is dust and the other is ions. They form when the solar wind pushes gases and dust from the comet's nucleus, forming tails that can extend for millions of kilometres.
Most comets are found in the distant regions of the solar system. Some are in the Kuiper Belt and take less than 200 years to orbit the Sun; The others stay in Oort cloudIt is a ball of icy bodies 50 times farther from the Sun than the Kuiper Belt.
source: APOD
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