Credit & Copyright: Dario Giannobile
Explanation:
Comet-like
plumes
are blowing over the volcanic peaks of
Mount
Etna
in this wintry mountain-and-skyscape from planet Earth.
The stacked and blended combination of
individual
exposures recorded during the cold night of
January 23,
also capture naked-eye Comet ZTF just above Etna's snowy slopes.
Of course increasing
sunlight and the solar wind
are responsible for the comet's greenish coma and broad dusty tail.
This weekend Comet ZTF is dashing across
northern skies between north star
Polaris and the Big Dipper.
From a dark site you can only just spot it as a
fuzzy patch though.
That's still an impressive achievement if you consider you are gazing
at a visitor from the
distant
Oort cloud
with your own eyes.
But binoculars or a small telescope will make for an even more
enjoyable view of this
Comet
ZTF in the coming days.
Comet ZTF Gallery:
Notable
Submissions to APOD
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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 June 4 Á Comet Pons Brooks Develops Opposing Tails
- 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
- 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