Mercury's sodium tail
Taken by Dr. Sebastian Voltmer on April 12, 2023 @
Spicheren, France
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Date Taken: 2023:04:13 23:07:07
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Details:
After a rainy day and a fantastic rainbow in the late afternoon, it cleared up during sunset. The transparency was exceptional on this evening (Yuri's Night), while several flashes of lightning lit up distant thunderstorm cells. Mercury was clearly visible above the western horizon. So I took the opportunity to capture Mercury's faint sodium tail.
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 24 million kilometers long. I captured this stacked CCD image from my backyard using a 135 mm lens and a 589 nm filter.
Photographer's website:
https://www.instagram.com/sebastianvoltmer
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