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Credit & Copyright: Dennis Mammana
(Skyscapes)
Explanation:
Can you spot the comet?
Flowing across the frozen
Alaskan
landscape is an easily visible, colorful aurora.
Just to the lower left, however, well in the background,
is something harder to spot:
Comet Ikeya-Zhang, the brightest comet of recent years.
Although the aurora faded in minutes, the
comet is just now
beginning to fade.
It remains just barely
visible without aid,
however, before sunrise in the East.
The comet is actually a giant
dirt-covered snowball
that spends most of its time in the outer
Solar System --
to where it is now returns.
The above photograph was taken on March 20 when
Comet Ikeya-Zhang was near its brightest.
Careful inspection of the photo will uncover
several other sky delights, including the giant galaxy
M31.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
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 Ikeya-Zhang - aurora
Publications with words: comet Ikeya-Zhang - aurora
See also:
- APOD: 2024 January 14 Á Dragon Aurora over Iceland
- APOD: 2024 January 3 Á A SAR Arc from New Zealand
- APOD: 2023 December 12 Á Aurora and Milky Way over Norway
- The SAR and the Milky Way
- APOD: 2023 November 5 Á Creature Aurora Over Norway
- APOD: 2023 October 22 Á Ghost Aurora over Canada
- APOD: 2023 April 19 Á Auroral Storm over Lapland