... A Tale of Comet Holmes . ... Pointing generally away from the Sun and also planet Earth, the comet's ion tail is seriously foreshortened by our extreme viewing angle. ... This gorgeous skyscape spans some 10 degrees across the heroic constellation Perseus, about the size of a generous binocular field of view. ... This close up of an active region on the Sun that produced a powerful X-class flare was captured by the orbiting TRACE satellite. ... The Closest Galaxy: Canis Major Dwarf . ...