Mercury's Giant Comet-like Tail Seen in New Image

Mercury thinks it's a Comet.


The picture was taken by Dr. Sebastian Voltmer using a specialized filter that highlights yellow wavelengths to see what is usually unseen , Mercury grows a tail shortly after the planet is at its closest to the Sun , the tail stretches to around 15,00 million miles long... ride the snake.

To a casual observer, Mercury's tail is very hard to see, which is why it went undiscovered until the 21st century. But Voltmer was able to photograph the giant plume thanks to a specialized filter that highlights yellow wavelengths of light, which are given off by the excited sodium particles in the tail.

"Without such a filter, Mercury's tail is almost invisible to the naked eye," Voltmer told Spaceweather.com.
www.livescience.com...

After all the years in Mercury's close orbit to the sun makes you wonder what it still has to out-gas ?

originally posted by: 727Sky
After all the years in Mercury's close orbit to the sun makes you wonder what it still has to out-gas ?

Tourists probably, with a few Venusians along the way perhaps.

a reply to: gortex

That's probably the most beautiful picture of Mercury I have ever seen.

So much the naked eye won't see. I love astronomy pictures.

Thanks Gortex.

originally posted by: 727Sky
After all the years in Mercury's close orbit to the sun makes you wonder what it still has to out-gas ?

Yep, you would think it would have a thick burnt crust all over but there are some permanently shaded areas that get no sunlight ever

Sweet!

I have never seen it before... I even asked an astronomer years ago about this possibility, but never got an answer.

That's a keeper!

Cool pic
Sodium tail? Nice
Can I salt my steaks with it?

a reply to: 727Sky

Probably dust boiled off the surface by solar wind (Plasma) striking the surface

Hmmm....wonder why mercury has so much sodium?

Great picture.

a reply to: gortex

I know it was discovered in the 1600's but somehow it feels like it was named thus and known for much longer. It's a neat coincidence that it has a tail and is named after the messenger.

originally posted by: Mandroid7
Cool pic
Sodium tail? Nice
Can I salt my steaks with it?

Wasn't there a news article about white areas in craters? What if it wasn't ice after all? Wouldn't that mean it once had water?

What!!!!

I bet Uranus has a tail

a reply to: buddha

You sure its not some clingons following Mercury .............