The Comet That Wanted to Ignite the Sun ⚡ экспресс
Objective: to estimate the energy of Comet Lovejoy's magnetic interaction with the Sun and the possibility of causing a flare. Using the MHD model WindPredict-AW, the coronal field and solar wind were reconstructed; the connection points of the comet with the surface were determined. Based on the propagation time of Alfvén waves, a flare on STEREO-A/EUVI (195 Å) coinciding with the flyby was identified. The interaction power on field lines within 5° of the flare was 10^14–10^16 W (from scaling laws). The radiative power of the flare is about 10^17 W. Conclusion: the comet's energy is insufficient to directly power the flare, but it could have triggered an unstable magnetic configuration. New observations of sungrazing comets are needed to test the hypothesis of star-planet interactions.
In December 2011, Comet Lovejoy boldly raced through the searing corona of the Sun. Right after—a flare. Scientists checked whether the comet could have caused it. The atmosphere of the Sun is threaded with taut magnetic loops—like a drawn bowstring. Flying through, the comet lightly brushes this string, and it releases an arrow—a powerful burst of energy. But calculations surprised: the energy of a dirty snowball (as Fred Whipple called comet nuclei) would only be enough for a toy bow. The actual flare, recorded by ultraviolet cameras, required 10–1000 times more. So, the comet wasn't the cause, but merely snapped the string of an already drawn 'bow'. Understanding such touches will help unravel storms on other stars with their planets. Paradox: diving into the solar furnace, the comet didn't perish, but blazed for earthly observers with the brightest light. It didn't ignite the Sun—the Sun ignited it.
🎯 The nucleus of Comet Lovejoy shrank after passing through the corona, but the comet survived and became one of the brightest comets of the decade.