Comet Neowise, still visible, may have two ion tails

Still visible in the night sky, Comet C / 2020 F3 Neowise, named after the Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer Space Telescope, may have two ion tails and a dust tail. Until now, the comet appeared to have a single ion tail.

The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to study the sun, but the probe has also recently been Wisprinstrument aimed at Comet Neowise. Normally, that instrument takes pictures of the sun’s outer atmosphere and solar wind in visible light, but Wispr’s sensitivity also makes it great for seeing fine details in structures such as a comet’s tail, according to NASA.

NASA says a recent image of this probe suggests a separation is present in the top ion tail. That could mean that Neowise has two ion tails in addition to the much larger and more visible dust tail. The space agency says scientists cannot confirm this possibility, however, until they have more data and have completed more analyzes.

On the right, an unedited July 5th image from the Wispr instrument aboard the Parker Solar Probe. In addition, an edited image based on data also collected on July 5. Here, the brightness of the sunlight has been filtered out and the contrast has been increased to reveal more detail in the tails.

On July 3, Neowise reached perihelion, the closest point in its orbit to the sun. It has an orbital period of approximately 7,000 years. The proximity of the sun causes the outer layers of the comet to boil, causing gas and dust to burst from the icy surface, resulting in a large tail of debris. The tails are created by the pressure of the sunlight. The lower, largest and clearest tail is formed by dust and evaporated ice, which reflects sunlight well. At the top you can also see a less visible tail: the ion tail. It is formed by gas that ionizes by the light from the sun and is pushed out by the magnetic fields in the solar wind. The ions fluoresce in the sunlight.

Comet Neowise may not be as impressive or as easy to see in the night sky as Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997, but Neowise can still be seen with the naked eye. This can be difficult in places where there is a lot of light pollution. The comet can be found in the northwest. It can be seen at the bottom right of the Big Dipper and near the bright star Capella. Neowise is not too far above the horizon, so a high viewing position or a wide view without objects that are too high in front of the horizon is crucial to be able to perceive it. It is best seen at the beginning of the night. To find it, the photo mode of a smartphone or binoculars can be helpful.

Professor Miloslav Druckmüller made a on July 10 from the Czech Republic impressive close-up photo of Neowise and from it International Space Station is the comet as well recorded. Based on the images from the ISS is also one timelaps series in 4k put on YouTube.