Magnetic Storm On Comet Lovejoy? Plasma Blob Captured By Astrophotograph

1

Is a magnetic storm currently hitting Comet Lovejoy?

A plasma blob billowing down the tail has been captured away from the Comet’s core!

Magnetic Storm On Comet Lovejoy Comet C/2014 Q2, picture Magnetic Storm On Comet Lovejoy Comet C/2014 Q2, Magnetic Storm On Comet Lovejoy, comet lovejoy photo, picture Comet C/2014 Q2, Magnetic Storm On Comet Lovejoy Comet C/2014 Q2 ,  Disconnection Of Ion Tail Comet lovejoy C/2014 Q2, comet lovejoy tail anomaly, disconnection comet lovejoy tail,  comet lovejoy anomaly
Rolando Ligustri

Observers of bright Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) are reporting activity in the comet’s sinuous blue ion tail. And this strange behavior has been testified by a picture of Rolando Ligustri who photographed a giant ‘plasma blob’ disturbing the giant tail far away from its core:

Magnetic Storm On Comet Lovejoy Comet C2014 Q2
Rolando Ligustri

This weird cloud could be a sign that a magnetic storm in underway. And this is not the first time. Observers of comets frequently witness plasma blobs and ‘disconnection events’ in response to CMEs and gusts of solar wind. In extreme cases, a comet’s tail can be completely torn off:

magnetic storm comet, magnetic storm comet tail disconnection movie, magnetic storm comet disconnection video, magnetic storm comet tail disconnection, Magnetic Storm On Comet Lovejoy Comet C/2014 Q2, picture Magnetic Storm On Comet Lovejoy Comet C/2014 Q2, Magnetic Storm On Comet Lovejoy, comet lovejoy photo, picture Comet C/2014 Q2, Magnetic Storm On Comet Lovejoy Comet C/2014 Q2
NASA

So what are comet magnetic storms?

As described by Space Weather:

[quote_box_center]The underlying physics is akin to terrestrial geomagnetic storms. When magnetic fields around a comet bump into oppositely-directed magnetic fields in a CME, those fields can link together or “reconnect.” The resulting burst of magnetic energy can make waves, blobs, or even ruptures in the comet’s tail. When CMEs hit Earth, a similar process takes place in the planet’s magnetosphere powering, among other things, the aurora borealis.[/quote_box_center]

Follow us: Facebook and Twitter

1 Comment

Leave a reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.