A cometary tail composed of ionized gases, typically forming a straight bluish tail pointing directly away from the sun; (more generally) a narrow stream of ions following the orbital trajectory of a planet or other body.
Origin
1950s.
Definition of ion tail in US English:
ion tail
noun
Astronomy
A cometary tail composed of ionized gases, typically forming a straight bluish tail pointing directly away from the sun; (more generally) a narrow stream of ions following the orbital trajectory of a planet or other body.