Question: Comet C/2023 A3 had an “anti-tail” Oct. 13-15. What exactly is an anti-tail?
Answer: An ordinary comet tail always points away from the sun because comet tails are created by the pressure of solar radiation and the solar wind streaming from the sun. However, between Oct. 13 and 15 as Earth crossed the plane of Comet A3’s orbit, the comet exhibited a rare anti-tail pointing toward the sun. An anti-tail is sometimes called an illusion. But it’s real. See a photo of it here.
Also, check out the below photo Flyover North Carolina reader Adam Barbor took of Comet A3 on Oct. 19 in Oak Island. Beautiful! Thanks for sharing, Adam!
