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Credit & Copyright: Paolo Candy
Explanation:
Near its closest approach to planet Earth,
comet SWAN
(C/2006 M4) brightened unexpectedly
earlier this week,
becoming visible to naked-eye observers under dark night skies.
Telescopic observers also noticed
dramatic changes in the
comet's colorful
coma
and tail, seen in this view recorded on October 25th.
To make the picture, images totaling eight minutes in
exposure time were stacked
and centered on the comet as it moved relatively quickly
against the background star field.
The picture covers about 1 degree on the sky.
Northern hemisphere observers should still
find the comet
an easy binocular target in the early evening,
even though moonlight will increase the overall sky brightness
in the next few days.
Look
toward the northwestern horizon and the constellation Hercules.
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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 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
- The Snows of Churyumov Gerasimenko