Comet Kudo-Fujikawa: Days in the Sun
Explanation:
Cruising through
the inner Solar System, new
Comet
Kudo-Fujikawa reached perihelion, its closest
approach to the Sun, yesterday, January 29.
Passing within
28.4 million kilometers of the Sun, this
comet came much closer than innermost planet Mercury basking
only 57.9 million kilometers from our parent star.
So close to the Sun, comet Kudo-Fujikawa was extremely bright but
impossible for earthbound observers to see against the solar glare.
Still, the space-based
SOHO
observatory captured these
views
of the comet as it neared perihelion by
using a
coronograph's occulting disk to
block the overwhelming sunlight.
In the series of images, the size and location of the blocked-out
Sun is indicated by white circles, while arrows point to the
traveling
comet's bright
coma and developing
tail.
Though fading on its outbound journey,
Kudo-Fujikawa should
soon be visible to southern hemisphere
comet-watchers
in February's evening skies.
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.
