A team of researchers recently published a paper in the journal Science showing how the Sun-grazing comet Lovejoy (C/2011 W3) has helped them improve the models of solar coronal magnetism. The comet passed deep within the hot solar atmosphere revealing the characteristics of the embedded magnetic fields, as the ions that make up the comet's tail interacted with magnetism from the corona. This provided substantial insight into this very dynamic region that could never be probed before. The improved models may one day help better and more timely space weather forecasting.

For more information and amazing videos: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-comet-lovejoy-wiggle-glimpse-sun.html