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INTERSTELLAR COMET ATLAS IS BRIGHTENING RAPIDLY
The forecasts are officially broken. Since September began, interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has brightened 40-fold, far more than standard models would predict.
"We can confirm the the significant increase in brightness," report Gerald Rhemann and Michael Jäger. "Our images taken in Namibia on Sept. 17th show the comet already at 12th magnitude." Here is their latest photo:
"The comet has a green atmosphere (coma) about 5 arcminutes in diameter, and a tail that continues to point toward the sun--the opposite of the usual direction," they say.
SOLAR WIND IS TORMENTING THIS COMET
Comet SWAN (C/2025 R2) is experiencing the plowing, too. "The comet's tail is extremly active," reports astronomer Gerald Rhemann, who recorded the action in only 10 minutes on Sept. 16th.
"These changes are powered by the solar wind," he says.
Indeed, the comet is feeling the full force of the solar wind as it glides through space not far from the orbit of Mercury. Every twist, filament and knot in its tail is propelled and sculted by the action of the sun.
A wider-field view of the comet captured by Michael Mattiazzo in Australia reveals an even more dramatic example. "Comet SWAN’s ion tail was showing a major disturbance last night," he says. "There is a wild corkscrew more than 5 degrees long. It must be getting hit by a CME."
Sometimes, CME impacts can completely disconnect a comet's tail. It happened to Comet Encke in 2007. Comet SWAN could be next.
Stay tuned!
