Vega 2 Magnetic Field Data During Halley Comet Flyby

NASA's Vega 2 spacecraft collected 1-minute magnetic field measurements during its closest approach to Halley's Comet. The data includes magnetic field vectors in the Solar Ecliptic (SE) coordinate system and spacecraft positions in Cometocentric Solar Ecliptic (CSE) coordinates. The dataset was last updated on the platform in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling the comet's magnetic environment based on the 1-minute resolution magnetic field vectors.
• Analyzing solar wind interaction with a comet based on the Bxse component directed from the spacecraft to the Sun.
• Studying spacecraft trajectory and position relative to the comet using the provided CSE coordinate system.
• Calculating total magnetic field magnitude (B) based on the described vector components.

Strengths

• Data is from a specific, scientifically significant event: the Vega 2 spacecraft's closest approach to Halley's Comet.
• Magnetic field vectors are provided in a defined Solar Ecliptic (SE) coordinate system with clear axis descriptions.
• Spacecraft positions are provided in a separate, defined Cometocentric Solar Ecliptic (CSE) coordinate system.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and total data volume are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is stored in a BIN format, which may require specialized tools for access and analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Instrument measurements from the Vega 2 spacecraft.

Time Range

Intervals during the closest approach of Vega 2 to Halley's Comet.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 13 05:24:43.617746; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Spacecraft trajectory in the solar system near Halley's Comet.