[music] In 1743, observers claimed
to have seen a comet with 6 tails.
Little did they know that the streaks behind the comet could be related to the origins
of the solar system. In time,
scientists theorized that the dust in a comet’s tail had been combed out into bands known as striae.
How the striae formed, however, was still a mystery.
How dust behaves in a comet’s tail is exciting
because comets are the leftover building blocks of the solar system. By watching the material clump
and fragment in the tail, we can gain insights
into the same process that forms dust into planets, moons, or asteroids.
In 2007, researchers were able to capture images of Comet McNaught
with NASA and ESA’s SOHO and STEREO spacecraft.
Today, researchers are introducing the latest step in
analyzing footage like this: a new image mapping technique.
When the technique is applied, it seamlessly combines perspectives from multiple
spacecraft, giving us a clearer picture of how the dust trail changes over time.
In the processed footage, we see the
new striations form. Their alignment relative to the Sun
indicates that the star might play a role in striae formation, as well
as fragmentation. We can also see how the clean lines
are disrupted when the comet crosses the current sheet, the boundary where the solar
wind's magnetic field changes orientation. Notice
how the defined lines become broken. This tells
us that the dust is charged and that the characteristic lines of the magnetic field in the solar
system are affecting it.
Scientists can use the new processing tool to study dust behavior in other comets.
When it comes to learning how comets can teach us about our origins,
we've only just caught this by the tail.
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beeping