Mercury's Tail
Taken by Dr. Sebastian Voltmer on April 27, 2022 @
La Palma, Canary Islands
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Camera Used: Unavailable Unavailable
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Date Taken: 2022:04:28 15:06:09
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Details:
This is NOT a comet, not even a meteor, but the planet Mercury, which is currently very close to the Pleiades. How is the tail formed? The solar wind and micro-meteorites eject sodium atoms from Mercury's surface. This creates a yellow-orange tail of sodium gas that is around 2.5 million kilometers long. This shot was only possible under best viewing conditions and in combination with a special 589 nm filter.
For this picture I was looking for a spot on La Palma with the best view to the northwest. The highest point on an island is not always the best. I couldn't believe it when I saw a clearly defined tail on the raw images - wow!
Photographer's website:
https://www.instagram.com/sebastianvoltmer
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