The Comets Of SOHO
Explanation:
After four years of successful sun-gazing, the space-based
SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
has also become the most successful
comet-hunter in history,
racking up 102 new comets.
Above are examples of SOHO's comet discoveries imaged by
LASCO,
an on-board coronagraph.
LASCO was designed to monitor the
solar corona out to a distance of about 12 million
miles while blotting out the bright solar disk.
Most of the comets
discovered with SOHO
belong to a special class known as
sungrazers - thought to
be returning fragments of a large comet which broke
up during its historic passage near the sun.
Subject to intense
solar heat and tidal forces,
sungrazers (examples in the left column)
are unlikely to survive their
close passage.
However, ten of SOHO's new comets, like those
in the right column, are more "typical"
comets
and pass the sun at safe distances.
In fact, on its outbound journey,
the comet at the top right was
bright enough to be seen with the unaided eye.
Discovered this year on February 4th, the comet at the bottom right
holds the distinction of being SOHO comet
number 100.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
