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Credit & Copyright: Dan Bartlett
Explanation:
Comet PanSTARRs,
C/2017 T2,
shared this stunning telescopic field of
view with galaxies
M81 and M82 on May 22/23.
Of course, the galaxies were some 12 million light-years distant and
the comet about 14 light-minutes away, seen in
planet Earth's sky toward the Big Dipper.
A new visitor
from the
Oort Cloud, this
Comet PanSTARRs
was discovered in 2017 by the PanSTARRs survey telescope when
the comet was over 1 light-hour from the Sun, almost as distant
as the orbit of Saturn.
With a beautiful
coma and dust tail,
this comet has been a
solid northern hemisphere performer for telescope wielding
comet watchers this May, following its closest approach to the Sun
on May 4.
In this deep image
from dark California skies the outbound comet even seems to
develop a short anti-tail as it leaves
the inner Solar System.
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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 - M 81 - M 82
Publications with words: comet - M 81 - M 82
See also:
- APOD: 2025 September 30 B Comet Lemmon Brightens
- APOD: 2025 September 29 B Two Camera Comets in One Sky
- APOD: 2025 September 26 B A SWAN an ATLAS and Mars
- APOD: 2025 September 18 B Comet C/2025 R2 SWAN
- APOD: 2025 September 16 B New Comet SWAN25B over Mexico
- APOD: 2025 July 7 B Interstellar Comet 3I ATLAS
- APOD: 2025 May 7 B Galaxy Wars: M81 versus M82