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Credit & Copyright: Nick Martin
Explanation:
Now sweeping
high above the ecliptic plane,
Comet Lemmon
has faded dramatically in
planet Earth's night sky
as it heads for the outer solar system.
Some 16 light-minutes (2 AU) from the Sun, it still sports a
greenish coma though, posing on the right
in this 4 degree wide
telescopic view from
last Saturday with deep sky star clusters and nebulae
in Cassiopeia.
In fact, the rich background skyscape is
typical within the boundaries of the
boastful northern
constellation that lie along the crowded starfields of the Milky Way.
Included near center is open
star cluster M52
about 5,000 light-years away.
Around 11,000 light-years distant, the red glowing nebula NGC 7635
below and left of M52 is well-known for its appearance in close-up
images as the Bubble Nebula.
But the fading Comet Lemmon is not the only foreground object on
the scene.
A faint streak on the right is an orbiting satellite
caught crossing through the field during the long exposure, glinting
in the sunlight and winking out as it
passes into Earth's shadow.
Interplanetary News: Photo Op from Cassini and MESSENGER - just be sure to smile and wave.
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NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: comet
Publications with words: comet
See also: