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Credit & Copyright: Urs Leutenegger
Explanation:
The multi-mirror, 17 meter-diameter
MAGIC telescopes reflect this
starry night sky from the Roque de los Muchachos
European Northern Observatory on the Canary Island of La Palma.
MAGIC stands for Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov and
the telescopes can see the brief
flashes of optical light produced
in particle air showers as high-energy
gamma rays impact the Earth's upper atmosphere.
On July 20, two of the three telescopes in view were looking for
gamma
rays from the center
of our Milky Way galaxy.
In reflection they show the bright stars of
Sagittarius and Scorpius near the galactic center to the southeast.
Beyond the segmented-mirror arrays, above the northwest horizon and
below the Big Dipper is Comet NEOWISE.
NEOWISE
stands for
Near Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer.
That's the Earth-orbiting satellite used to discover the comet designated
C/2020 F3,
but you knew that.
Comet NEOWISE Images:
July
23
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& earlier
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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
Publications with words: comet
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