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Credit & Copyright: Jerry Lodriguss
(Catching the Light)
Explanation:
Sixteen years ago,
Comet
Hale-Bopp rounded the Sun and offered a dazzling spectacle in planet Earth's
night.
This
stunning view, recorded shortly after the comet's
1997 perihelion passage, features the memorable
tails
of Hale-Bopp -- a whitish dust tail and blue ion tail.
Here, the ion tail extends well over ten degrees across
the northern sky, fading near the double
star clusters
in Perseus, while the head of the comet lies near
Almach,
a bright star in the constellation Andromeda.
Do you remember Hale-Bopp?
The photographer's sons do, pictured in the foreground at
ages 12 and 15.
In all, Hale-Bopp was reported as visible
to the naked eye from roughly late May 1996 through September 1997.
Currently, sky enthusiasts await
Comet ISON's
continued brightening in the coming weeks, unsure how interesting its
first journey to the inner Solar System will be.
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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 Hale-Bopp - comet - tail
Publications with words: Comet Hale-Bopp - comet - tail
See also:
- APOD: 2024 June 4 Á Comet Pons Brooks Develops Opposing Tails
- 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