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Explanation: Why do comets emit X-rays? First discovered during the passing of Comet Hyakutake in 1996, the reason a cold comet would produce hot X-rays has since remained a mystery. On July 14, however, the orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory was able to provide an image of passing Comet LINEAR, shown above, in enough detail to unravel the mystery. The key to the solution turns out to be the unusual wind of fast ions emitted by our Sun. These ions apparently collide with gas recently emitted by the comet and cause some ions to acquire a new electron. An electron that starts in a high-energy state will emit an X-ray as it falls in closer to the ion nucleus. As other comets move into the inner Solar System, this discovery should allow future study of the continually evolving gas cloud that surrounds comets as well as the composition of the solar wind.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: comet - comet linear - LINEAR
Publications with words: comet - comet linear - LINEAR
See also:
- APOD: 2024 April 17 Á Total Eclipse and Comets
- APOD: 2024 April 8 Á The Changing Ion Tail of Comet Pons Brooks
- Comet Pons-Brooks at Night
- APOD: 2024 March 18 Á Comet Pons Brooks Swirling Coma
- Comet 12P/Pons Brooks in Northern Spring
- Structure in the Tail of Comet 12P/Pons Brooks
- The Snows of Churyumov Gerasimenko