A celestial comet with a glowing tail captured in a starry night sky.

Cold ice. Hot X-rays?

Yes—comets can glow in X-rays. That shocked astronomers.

Comets: The X‑Ray Glow Mystery

Close-up of a glowing plasma ball with colorful electric currents reaching outwards.

Solar wind steals electrons

Highly charged solar wind ions rip electrons from neutral atoms in the coma—charge exchange—then flash X-rays and far-UV light as they settle.

Comets: The X‑Ray Glow Mystery

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