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Астронет: Астрономическая картинка дня Великолепный хвост кометы МакНота http://variable-stars.ru/db/msg/1220434/eng |
Credit & Copyright: Robert H. McNaught
Explanation:
Comet McNaught, the Great Comet of 2007, has grown a long and filamentary tail.
The spectacular
tail spreads across the sky and is visible to Southern Hemisphere observers
just after sunset.
The head of the
comet remains quite bright and easily visible to even
city observers without any optical aide.
The amazing tail is visible on long exposures
and even to the unaided eye from a dark location.
Reports even have the tail visible just above the horizon after
sunset for many northern observers as well.
Comet McNaught,
estimated at
magnitude -2 (minus
two),
was caught by the
comet's discoverer
in the
above image just after sunset last Friday from
Siding Spring Observatory in
Australia.
Comet McNaught, the brightest comet in decades, is
now fading as it moves further into southern skies and away from the
Sun and
Earth.
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.