Earthbound Comet , Blasted by Massive , Solar Ejection.
Earthbound Comet , Blasted by Massive , Solar Ejection.
'Newsweek' reports that a newly-identified
comet in our solar system was recently blasted
by a powerful solar wind that blew its tail apart.
Comet C/2023 P1, otherwise referred to as Nishimura, was first spotted on August 11 by an amateur astronomer in Japan, Hideo Nishimura. .
By mid-September, the comet is expected to
be visible in the night sky with the naked eye. .
On September 2, the comet was hit
by a massive coronal mass ejection
(CME), which ripped away its tail. .
A comet is like
a dirty snowball, Keith Horne, professor of astronomy at the
University of St. Andrews in Scotland, via 'Newsweek'.
Comets and planets
both orbit the sun,
but unlike the circular orbits
of planets, comets follow
highly elliptical orbits, Keith Horne, professor of astronomy at the
University of St. Andrews in Scotland, via 'Newsweek'.
'Newsweek' reports that as a comet
moves closer to the sun, it releases
a trail of dust and ice as it gets hotter.
This leaves it with lots of loose
particles, both charged and
neutral, that come away
from it while it is moving, Ian Whittaker, senior physics lecturer in physics at
Nottingham Trent University in the U.K., via 'Newsweek'.
The neutral particles come off in
a cone behind the comet as it
moves—a bit like being behind
a big truck on the motorway while
it's raining, all the excess water
hits whatever is directly behind it, Ian Whittaker, senior physics lecturer in physics at
Nottingham Trent University in the U.K., via 'Newsweek'.
On September 12, Nishimura will reach
its closest point to Earth, a distance
of about 27 million miles. .
The comet, which currently has a magnitude of six, will
reach its closest distance to the sun on September 17, bringing it to a brighter magnitude of two or three.