See Mercury's giant, comet-like tail in stunning new image as it passes close to the sun

[Admin]

Shortly after Mercury reached its closest point to the sun, its massive, comet-like tail became unusually visible in the night sky and was captured in a stunning new photo.

See Mercury's giant, comet-like tail in stunning new image as it passes close to the sun : Read more

 

[rod]

Others reported Mercury's tail from 2021. https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2021/05/10/the-sodium-tail-of-mercury/

This report indicated the tail is some 24 million km long, "The escaping gas forms a tail more than 24 million km long.", close to 0.16 au or larger. How long has this process of sodium lost been taking place? Consider that Mercury completes more than 4 billion revolutions around the Sun in 1 Gyr period. How much sodium does Mercury lose?

 

[rod]

2002M&PS...37.1165P Page 1165

indicates the tail can be 1-10% of Mercury's sodium, https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2002M&PS...37.1165P/abstract

 

[billslugg]

The total flux is cited as 1e23 sodium atoms per second. One mole is 6e23 per second. Thus one mole every six seconds. This is 24 grams every six seconds or about 4 grams per second.

 

[murgatroyd]

How come I am hearing about Mercury's tail only just now for the first time??

#mandelaeffect

 

[rod]

The total flux is cited as 1e23 sodium atoms per second. One mole is 6e23 per second. Thus one mole every six seconds. This is 24 grams every six seconds or about 4 grams per second.

Thanks billslugg. 4 grams/s over 1 Gyr is about 1.26 x 10^17 grams, almost as much as Halley comet mass (about 2.2 x 10^17). So is Mercury a comet then?

 

[billslugg]

How come I am hearing about Mercury's tail only just now for the first time??

#mandelaeffect

I guess no one ever thought to look at Mercury at the right timing using a sodium filter.

 

[Pogo]

Also, due to the faintness, probably required modern capabilities.