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Credit & Copyright: Jose J. Chambo
(Cometografia)
Explanation:
A conjunction
of comets
is captured in this pretty star field
from the morning of September 17.
Discovered in July by a robotic sky survey
searching
for supernovae, comet
C/2017 O1 ASASSN
is at the lower left.
The visible greenish glow of its coma is produced by
the fluorescence of diatomic carbon molecules in sunlight.
Nearing its closest approach to the Sun, the binocular comet was
only about 7.2 light-minutes from Earth.
In the same telescopic field of view is the long-tailed, outbound comet
C/2015
ER61 PanSTARRS at the upper right, almost 14 light-minutes away.
Many light-years distant, the starry background includes
faint, dusty nebulae of the Milky Way.
The well-known Pleiades star cluster lies just off the top right
of the frame.
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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 - conjunction
Publications with words: comet - conjunction
See also:
- APOD: 2024 December 16 Á A Kilometer High Cliff on Comet Churyumov Gerasimenko
- APOD: 2024 November 27 Á The Meteor and the Comet
- APOD: 2024 November 11 Á The Unusual Tails of Comet Tsuchinshan Atlas
- APOD: 2024 November 6 Á Comet Tsuchinshan Atlas over the Dolomites
- APOD: 2024 October 21 Á Comet Tsuchinshan ATLAS over California
- Comet Tsuchinshan ATLAS Flys Away
- Most of Comet Tsuchinshan ATLAS