|
Credit & Copyright: Rolando Ligustri
(CARA Project,
CAST)
Explanation:
Faint comet
Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P)
sweeps past background stars in the constellation Taurus and even fainter
distant galaxies in this telescopic frame from September 7.
About 5 years ago,
this comet's 4 kilometer spanning, double-lobed nucleus
became the final resting place of
robots from
planet Earth,
following the completion of the historic Rosetta mission to the comet.
After wandering out beyond the orbit of Jupiter,
Churyumov-Gerasimenko is now returning along its 6.4 year
periodic orbit toward its next
perihelion or closest approach to the
Sun, on November 2.
On November 12, the comet's perigee, its closest approach to Earth,
will bring it within about 0.42 astronomical units.
Telescopes
should still be required to view it even at its brightest,
predicted to be in late November and December.
On September 7
Rosetta's comet
was about 0.65 astronomical units away or about 5.4 light-minutes
from
our fair planet.
|
January February March April May June July August September October November December |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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