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Credit & Copyright: JoAnn McDonald
Explanation:
The comet PanSTARRS, also known as
the blue comet (C/2016 R2),
really is near the lower left edge of this stunning, wide field view
recorded on January 13.
Spanning nearly 20 degrees on the sky,
the
cosmic landscape is explored by well-exposed and processed frames
from a sensitive digital camera.
It consists of colorful clouds and dusty dark nebulae otherwise
too faint for your eye to see, though.
At top right, the
California Nebula (aka NGC 1499) does have a
familiar shape.
Its coastline is over 60 light-years long and lies
some 1,500 light-years away.
The nebula's pronounced reddish glow is from hydrogen atoms ionized
by luminous blue star Xi Persei just below it.
Near bottom center, the famous
Pleiades star cluster is some 400
light-years distant and around 15 light-years
across.
Its spectacular blue color is due to the reflection of starlight
by interstellar dust.
In between are hot stars of the Perseus OB2
association and dusty,
dark nebulae along the edge of the nearby,
massive Taurus and Perseus molecular clouds.
Emission from unusually abundant ionized carbon monoxide (CO+)
molecules fluorescing in sunlight
is largely responsible for the telltale blue tint of the
remarkable
comet's tail.
The comet was about 17 light minutes
from Earth.
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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 - pleiades - emission nebula
Publications with words: comet - pleiades - emission nebula
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
- APOD: 2024 March 13 Á The Seagull Nebula
- Comet 12P/Pons Brooks in Northern Spring
- APOD: 2024 February 21 Á Seagull Nebula over Pinnacles Peak