Credit & Copyright: Dan Bartlett
Explanation:
In late March, the comet now designated
C/2025
F2 SWAN was
found independently by
citizen scientists
Vladimir Bezugly, Michael Mattiazzo, and Rob Matson
while examining publicly available image data
from the Solar Wind ANisotropies (SWAN) camera on
the sun-staring
SOHO spacecraft.
Comet SWAN's coma,
its greenish color a signature of diatomic carbon molecules
fluorescing in sunlight, is at lower left in
this telescopic image.
SWAN's faint ion tail extends nearly two degrees toward the upper right
across the field of view.
The interplanetary scene was captured in clear but moonlit skies
from June Lake, California on April 14.
Seen against background of stars toward the constellation Andromeda,
the comet was then some 10 light-minutes from our fair planet.
Now
a target
for binoculars and small telescopes in
northern hemisphere morning skies
this comet SWAN
is headed for a perihelion, its closest approach to the Sun, on May 1.
That will bring
this visitor from the distant
Oort cloud
almost as close to the Sun as the orbit of inner planet Mercury.
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Yanvar' Fevral' Mart Aprel' Mai Iyun' Iyul' Avgust Sentyabr' Oktyabr' Noyabr' Dekabr' |
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
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