Three spacecraft measurements of an unusual disturbance in the solar wind: Further evidence for a cometary encounter

On February 11, 1982 the Pioneer Venus orbiter detected an unusual disturbance of the interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind plasma. While this disturbance was being detected at Venus, Venera 13 and 14 were making measurements of the interplanetary magnetic field about 6 million km away. These spacecraft observed at most a very weak disturbance several hours after the peak of the event at Pioneer Venus. Had the event been a solar initiated disturbance it should have been seen almost unaltered by the Venera spacecraft. Thus the Venera 13 and 14 data provide further evidence for the cometary nature of this event.