A mystical green comet's tail appears disconnected in a photograph taken by an Austrian comet hunter. The stunning effect may have been sparked by erratic space weather, according to a report by Space.com.

After traveling 500 miles (800 kilometers) from Austria to Bavaria in Germany to acquire an unobstructed view of the night sky on Tuesday, January 17, astronomer Michael Jäger captured this image of the comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF).

Distinctive Tail

The comet hunter posted the picture on Twitter along with more pictures and a video of the mystical comet.

Jäger told Space.com in an interview that an astrophotographer must act quickly to capture photographs of comets because these ice bodies quickly change as they approach the warmer parts of the inner solar system.

The comet's distinctive tail appears to be diminishing in this view, which is what astronomers refer to as a disconnection event, giving the impression that it is breaking off.

This disruption in the tail is most likely brought on by turbulent space weather, specifically the stronger-than-usual solar wind generated by a coronal mass ejection (CME), according to SpaceWeather.com.

CMEs are explosions of extremely energetic particles that originate in the corona, the sun's upper atmosphere, and move across the solar system to mess with the atmospheres of planets and other celestial objects.

SpaceWeather.com reports that Comet ZTF's tail has been partially severed and is currently being dragged away by the solar wind. Comet tails may also be completely severed from the comet by magnetic reconnection brought on by CME impacts.

As a comet gets closer to the sun, its frozen body heats up and releases dust and gas as its tail. The comet's head is typically only a few miles broad, but its tail can extend across the solar system for hundreds of thousands of miles, as per Space.com.

This event creates a magnificent spectacle in space that attracts astrophotographers like Jäger to capture it in its full glory.

Read Also: FIREBALL! Comet SWAN is Now Visible; Here's How to See the 'Comet of the Year'

Increased Solar Activity

According to SpaceWeather.com, comet ZTF's visit to our part of the solar system this month coincided with an increase in solar surface activity, which resulted in many CMEs sweeping past it.

The UK space weather forecaster Met Office reports that there are currently eight numbered sunspots spanning the sun's Earth-facing disk, suggesting that as the comet approaches, more CMEs may develop. 

Sunspots are darker, cooler spots that may be seen on the surface of the sun. They contain distorted magnetic fields that can result in solar flares and CMEs.

The asteroid C/2022 E3 (ZTF), which was found by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) at the Palomar Observatory in California in March 2022, is coming within 50,000 years of making its closest approach to Earth.

According to astronomers, the comet will soon be visible to the unaided eye and will pass by Earth at a speed of roughly one-quarter of the distance between the sun and the planet on Feb 1.

Related Article: The Largest Comet Will Come Close to Earth on July 14, Here's How to See It