plasma tail

astronomy

Also known as: Type I tail, ion tail

Learn about this topic in these articles:

In comet: General considerations
The ion tail forms from the volatile gases in the coma when they are ionized by ultraviolet photons from the Sun and blown away by the solar wind. Ion tails point almost exactly away from the Sun and glow bluish in colour because of the presence…
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In comet: Spacecraft exploration of comets
…targeted to pass through the ion tail of the comet, about 7,800 km (4,800 miles) behind the nucleus at a relative velocity of 21 km (13 miles) per second, and returned the first in situ measurements of the magnetic field, plasma, and energetic particle environment inside a comet’s tail. Those…
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In comet: Tails
The ion or plasma tails are known as Type I tails.
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