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

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posted on Apr, 22 2023 @ 06:12 PM
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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...



posted on Apr, 22 2023 @ 06:20 PM
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After all the years in Mercury's close orbit to the sun makes you wonder what it still has to out-gas ?



posted on Apr, 22 2023 @ 06:53 PM
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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.



posted on Apr, 22 2023 @ 07:09 PM
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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.



posted on Apr, 22 2023 @ 07:25 PM
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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



posted on Apr, 22 2023 @ 08:09 PM
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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!




posted on Apr, 22 2023 @ 08:37 PM
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Cool pic
Sodium tail? Nice
Can I salt my steaks with it?




posted on Apr, 22 2023 @ 09:28 PM
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a reply to: 727Sky

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



posted on Apr, 22 2023 @ 09:29 PM
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Hmmm....wonder why mercury has so much sodium?



posted on Apr, 22 2023 @ 09:36 PM
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Great picture.



posted on Apr, 23 2023 @ 02:00 AM
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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.



posted on Apr, 23 2023 @ 02:02 AM
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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?



posted on Apr, 23 2023 @ 05:52 AM
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What!!!!

I bet Uranus has a tail



posted on Apr, 23 2023 @ 06:45 AM
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a reply to: buddha

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



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