This was
your sky.

Comet Encke's Tail Ripped Off

Comet Encke, which swings inside the orbit of Mercury, encountered a blast from the Sun, a Coronal Mass Ejection, on April 20th. These enormous clouds of energetic particles, when they hit Earth's magnetosphere, often trigger auroral displays. In this case, the collision ripped off the comet's tail. This was likely due to interacting magnetic fields rather than mechanical pressure.