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Credit & Copyright: Richard Tresch Fienberg
(AAS)
Explanation:
Comet Garradd continues to brighten as it drifts across the northern sky.
Last week the comet, visible with binoculars and discernable by its
green coma,
passed nearly in front of globular cluster M71.
M71 was once thought to be
an open cluster, but is now known to be an older
globular cluster
containing over 10,000 stars.
The photogenic duo was captured with a standard digital camera in a 10-minute, wide-angle
exposure toward the northern constellation of the Arrow (Sagitta).
The stars
Sham (Alpha Sagittae),
Beta Sagittae,
Gamma Sagittae, and
the
double star
Delta Sagitta are
all visible in a
diagonal band running down from the upper left.
Comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd), will
remain visible in northern skies for months and will reach its closest approach
to the Sun in December.
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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 - globular cluster
Publications with words: comet - globular cluster
See also:
- APOD: 2024 April 17 Á Total Eclipse and Comets
- APOD: 2024 April 8 Á The Changing Ion Tail of Comet Pons Brooks
- Comet Pons-Brooks at Night
- Millions of Stars in Omega Centauri
- APOD: 2024 March 18 Á Comet Pons Brooks Swirling Coma
- Comet 12P/Pons Brooks in Northern Spring
- Structure in the Tail of Comet 12P/Pons Brooks