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Астронет: Астрономическая картинка дня Комета 12P/Понса-Брукса северной весной http://www.astronet.ru/db/msg/1922512/eng |
Credit & Copyright: Petr Horцlek /
Institute of Physics in Opava
Explanation:
As spring approaches for northern skygazers
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks
is growing brighter.
Currently visible
with small telescopes and binoculars
the Halley-type comet could reach naked eye visibility in the
coming weeks.
Seen despite a foggy atmosphere,
the comet's green coma and long tail hover near the horizon,
in this well-composed
deep night skyscape
from Revuca, Slovakia recorded on March 5.
In the sky above the Halley-type comet,
the Andromeda (right) and Triangulum galaxies
flank bright star Mirach,
beta star of the constellation Andromeda.
The two spiral galaxies are members of our local galaxy group and
over 2.5 million light-years distant.
Comet Pons-Brooks is a periodic
visitor to the inner Solar
System
and less than 14 light-minutes away.
Reaching its perihelion on April 21, this comet should be visible
in the sky
during
the April 8 total solar eclipse.
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.