The blue tint often seen in the ion tail is specifically attributed to the emission spectrum of which ionized molecule?
Answer
Ionized carbon monoxide ($ ext{CO}^+$)
The blue tint in the ion tail comes from the emission spectrum of ionized carbon monoxide molecules, $ ext{CO}^+$, which radiates strongly in the blue-violet region when energized by solar ultraviolet radiation.
Related Questions
What mixture describes the fundamental composition of comets, earning them the nickname 'dirty snowballs'?Which specific part of a comet exists whether it is near or far from the Sun?What process allows the frozen materials on a comet's surface to transform directly into gas as it approaches the Sun?When observing an active comet, which feature is generally the largest component visible through a telescope?What is the critical factor determining the direction in which a comet's tails always point?What are the defining visual characteristics of the dust tail streamer?What primary force drives the material composing the ion tail away from the Sun?Where are most short-period comets thought to originate?The blue tint often seen in the ion tail is specifically attributed to the emission spectrum of which ionized molecule?If a comet exhausts its readily available volatile ices after many orbits, what does it eventually resemble?