Explanation: Today Comet Wirtanen passes by the Earth. The kilometer-sized dirty snowball orbits the Sun every 5.4 years, ranging as far out as Jupiter and as close in as the Earth. Today Comet 46P/Wirtanen passes within only 31 lunar distances to the Earth, the closest approach in 70 years. If you know where to look (Taurus), you can see the comet through binoculars as an unusual blue smudge. Pictured a week ago, Comet Wirtanen was photographed in the sky beyond an old abandoned church in Skagen, Denmark. The image composite also captures the astrophotographer. After today, the comet will begin to fade as it recedes from the Earth and the Sun.

Free Download: 2019 APOD Calendar (v5)

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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
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Publikacii s klyuchevymi slovami: comet - komety Publikacii so slovami: comet - komety
Sm. takzhe: Kometa Czyczin'shan'-ATLAS nad Kaliforniei Kometa Czyczin'shan'-ATLAS uletaet Pochti vsya kometa Czyczin'shan'-ATLAS "Klipper" i kometa Kakimi budut hvosty komety Czyczin'shan'-ATLAS? Kometa Czyczin'shan'-ATLAS nad memorialom Linkol'nu Pyat' yarkih komet ot SOHO Vse publikacii na tu zhe temu >>