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Article: <[email protected]>
From: [email protected](Nancy)
Subject: Curving TAIL Tells a TALE
Date: 9 Apr 1997 15:00:20 GMT
In article <[email protected]> Ross Eddie writes:
> Does anyone have an explanation as to why the dust tail of
> Hale-Bopp is curved while the blue ion tail is straight??
> (At least from our perspective?)
> [email protected] (Ross Eddie)
The answer given below by various respondents to Ross's question state that the comet's MOTION causes the curve. The Zetas wish to add to this.
(Begin ZetaTalk[TM])
The curvature in the dust tail is NOT caused by the motion of the comet, as this motion day to day is NOT
great enough to create a difference. Measure where the comet was yesterday, a week ago, a month ago, and
place that where you see the tail curving today. There is no relationship! In addition, the dust does not
LINGER that long, as with the ion tail is represents a continuous and very recent production from the comet
head. The significant curve seen day to day is not only the recent production of dust streaming off the comet
head before disbursing into space dust where it is no longer visible to you, it represents an abundance, a
thickness of the dust cloud. This thickness is only maintained as it leaves the comet head, and shortly
thereafter each particle moves independently, so disbursal occurs. Do you see this dust after the comet is
no longer in the heavens?
The curved dust tail is telling you, once again, that this comet IS NOT AT THE DISTANCE YOU HAVE
BEEN TOLD. It stands more beside the Sun than behind it, and is not at a distance behind the Sun equal to
the orbit or Mar's either! Should it be at that distance the dust tail of a comet dropping through the ecliptic
would be straight up, but instead it curves. This comet, the current Hale-Bopp representative, has a curved
dust tail because it is close to the Sun and the dust tail is reacting to the blasts that come from this proximity
to the Sun. This is not a great comet far away, it is a dying comet passing close to the Sun!
(End ZetaTalk[TM])
In article <[email protected]> Terry Danks writes:
> Both tails are caused by the solar wind. The dust particles
> have much greater mass than the ions hence do not react as
> quickly to the solar wind. Thus it is inertia that causes the
> dust tail to become curved. This is especially evident near
> perihelion where there is great curvature in the cometary orbit.
> Terry Danks <[email protected]>
In article <[email protected]>
Jan R. Sugalski writes:
> The answer is that the ion tail has very little mass relative to
> the dust tail and is pushed away from the comet at a high rate
> of speed so to all appearances looks almost straight. The more
> massive dust tail, however lags behind due to inertia and the
> comet moves ahead relative to it. This gives it the appearance
> of being curved.
> "Jan R. Sugalski" <[email protected]>