The Comet That Wanted to Ignite the Sun ⚡ экспресс
In December 2011, Comet Lovejoy passed through the solar corona, where conditions resemble the interaction of exoplanets with their stars. Scientists reconstructed the magnetic field along the comet's trajectory and estimated the energy of its magnetic coupling with the Sun (via Alfvén waves). They compared it with a bright flare detected by the STEREO-A satellite: the power of the magnetic interaction was 10^14–10^16 W, while the flare's was 10^17 W. Direct heating is unlikely, but the comet might have shaken an unstable magnetic structure, like a shout in the mountains triggering an avalanche.
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.