Solar System Has a Tail, Just Like a Comet

interestingengineering.com

43 points·kschua··8 comments

Planets also have 'tails' in that sense as well.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_Shock

Also, here is the original NASA.gov article that the article is quoting:

http://www.nasa.gov/content/nasa-s-ibex-provides-first-view-...

I love hearing about new findings like this. Blows my mind how much there is to learn/discover every single time something like this comes out.

If we're being spun by the super blackhole in the middle of the galaxy, then it kind of makes sense to have one.

>If we're being spun by the super blackhole in the middle of the galaxy, then it kind of makes sense to have one.

These 'tails' are not created by centrifugal forces, so the fact that solar system rotates around the center of the galaxy doesn't explain the tail.

Wouldn't it though, at least to a degree. If the solar system were moving through absolutely empty space there would be no external gravitational forces causing the exterior 'drag' resulting in a tail.

But wouldn't you expect these particles that we're moving through to be being spun by that black hole as well?

Reminds me of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jHsq36_NTU

While this is a nice video, it rests on a model that is not completely true to the point that the video which stands upon it is actually misleading. I refer you to the fine Bad Astronomy blog:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/03/04/vortex_m...

It is, of course, an interesting general perspective nonetheless.

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