NASA | Solar Hurricane Tears Off Tail of Comet Encke

The video explains the behavior of comets in the solar system, particularly when they approach the sun, forming tails due to heat and radiation. It introduces coronal mass ejections (CMEs) as massive, fast-moving clouds of magnetized gas from the sun. A significant event captured by NASA shows a collision between Comet Enki and a CME, illustrating how the comet's tail was detached through magnetic reconnection. This process is similar to what happens when a CME interacts with Earth's magnetosphere, resulting in the Northern Lights.

What happens to a comet when it approaches the sun?

• It loses its orbit.

• It becomes a planet.

• It disintegrates completely.

• It forms a tail due to vaporization of gas and dust.

What are coronal mass ejections (CMEs)?

• Comets that have lost their tails.

• Large clouds of magnetized gas ejected by the sun.

• Asteroids colliding with the sun.

• Small particles from the sun.

What significant event did NASA capture on April 20th, 2007?

• The sun's surface cooling down.

• A CME colliding with a comet.

• An asteroid hitting the moon.

• A comet forming a new orbit.

What process causes the detachment of a comet's tail during a collision with a CME?

• Gravitational pull.

• Magnetic reconnection.

• Thermal expansion.

• Chemical reaction.

What natural phenomenon on Earth is similar to the process of a comet's tail detachment?

• Earthquakes.

• Volcanic eruptions.

• Tornadoes.

• Northern Lights.