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Credit & Copyright: Urs Leutenegger
Explanation:
The multi-mirror, 17 meter-diameter
MAGIC telescopes reflect this
starry night sky from the Roque de los Muchachos
European Northern Observatory on the Canary Island of La Palma.
MAGIC stands for Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov and
the telescopes can see the brief
flashes of optical light produced
in particle air showers as high-energy
gamma rays impact the Earth's upper atmosphere.
On July 20, two of the three telescopes in view were looking for
gamma
rays from the center
of our Milky Way galaxy.
In reflection they show the bright stars of
Sagittarius and Scorpius near the galactic center to the southeast.
Beyond the segmented-mirror arrays, above the northwest horizon and
below the Big Dipper is Comet NEOWISE.
NEOWISE
stands for
Near Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer.
That's the Earth-orbiting satellite used to discover the comet designated
C/2020 F3,
but you knew that.
Comet NEOWISE Images:
July
23
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& earlier
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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