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Credit & Copyright: Chris Schur
Explanation:
Comet NEAT (Q4) is showing its
tails.
As the large snowball officially dubbed
Comet C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) falls toward the
inner Solar System,
it has already passed the Earth and will reach its
closest approach to the Sun this coming Saturday.
Reports place the comet at third
magnitude, making it easily visible to the unaided eye to
northern sky gazers observing from a dark location just after sunset.
The above image was captured last Saturday from Happy Jack,
Arizona,
USA.
Visible is a long blue
ion tail, a blue
coma surrounding the comet's
nucleus, and a shorter but brighter
sunlight reflecting
dust tail.
Q4 will likely drop from easy
visibility during the next month as it recedes from both the
Earth and the Sun.
Another
separate naked-eye comet,
Comet Linear (T7),
is also as bright as third magnitude and
should remain bright into June.
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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 NEAT - comet tail
Publications with words: Comet NEAT - comet tail
See also: