Explanation: TodayБs composite image features something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue! Comet R3 PanSTARRS, streaking across the right of the image, likely originated from the Oort Cloud, meaning it is an old Solar System relic from billions of years ago. ItБs bright extended ion tail glows blue as the gas escaping the cometБs core is ionized by sunlight. Astronomers are fascinated by comets for all sorts of reasons: comet compositions are untouched time capsules containing the building blocks of Solar System planets; comets may have delivered water to the young Earth; the behavior of cometary tails shed light on solar wind and radiation interactions. The background mosaic, featuring the Orion Nebula (M42), was taken over two nights of observation with the comet captured on the third night. The Orion Nebula is our nearest stellar nursery and, at about 2 million years old, is our something (relatively) new! Now at around 127.5 million kilometers from Earth, we wave goodbye to the borrowed Comet R3 PanSTARRS as it leaves the Solar System.

Growing Gallery: Comet R3 in 2026

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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.

Публикации с ключевыми словами: comet - кометы Публикации со словами: comet - кометы
См. также: Комета R3 PanSTARRS и Ригель Комета R3 PanSTARRS за следами спутников Комета R3 PanSTARRS над долиной в Гималаях Комета PanSTARRS и планеты Длинный тонкий хвост кометы R3 (PanSTARRS) Комета R3 PanSTARRS ярчает Хвосты кометы Верчоша Все публикации на ту же тему >>