... Created from a 24 frame mosaic, exposures tracking Earth and sky were made separately.. ... December Sunrise, Cape Sounion . ... Dust particles strung out along the orbit of extinct comet Phaethon vaporize when they plow through planet Earth's atmosphere causing the impressive display. ... In 1996, an unexpectedly bright comet passed by planet Earth. Discovered less than two months before, Comet C/1996 B2 Hyakutake came within only 1/10th of the Earth-Sun distance from the Earth in late March. ...