Under the influence of space weather, comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) has appeared in the sky as its distinctive green tail has nearly disappeared.
Astronomical photographer Michael Jäger captured an image of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) on January 17 after driving 800 kilometers from Austria to Bavaria, Germany, to observe the night sky. Jäger shared the photo via social media platform Twitter. According to him, while photographing the comet, an astrophotographer cannot waste time, as these icy bodies change very quickly as they approach the warmer regions of the inner solar system.
The tail of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) disappears under the influence of space weather. (Photo: Michael Jäger).
The photo reveals a phenomenon that astronomers refer to as tail separation event. Essentially, this is the dimming of the characteristic tail of the comet, making it appear as though it is about to lose its tail. This phenomenon is likely caused by chaotic space weather, specifically stronger-than-normal solar winds released during a coronal mass ejection (CME). CMEs are bursts of high-energy particles from the upper atmosphere of the Sun (the corona) that travel across the system, affecting the atmospheres of planets and many other celestial bodies.
A fragment of the tail of comet ZTF was swept away by the solar wind, according to SpaceWeather.com. Collisions with CMEs can cause tail separation in comets, sometimes resulting in complete breakage. The tail of a comet is made up of evaporating material and dust released by the comet as it heats up when approaching the Sun. Although the comet itself is typically only a few kilometers wide, its tail can extend hundreds of thousands of kilometers across the inner solar system.
SpaceWeather.com reported that several CMEs passed by comet ZTF this month as it approached Earth, coinciding with a surge in solar surface activity. Currently, there are eight sunspots on the side of the Sun facing Earth, according to the UK Met Office. Sunspots are cooler, darker areas on the Sun’s surface that can be observed, characterized by twisted and dense magnetic fields, leading to the formation of flares and CMEs.
C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was discovered by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) at the Palomar Observatory in California in March 2022. This is the first time it has come close to Earth in approximately 50,000 years. The comet will soon be visible to the naked eye as it passes closest to Earth on February 1.
