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Credit & Copyright: Rolando Ligustri
(CARA Project,
CAST)
Explanation:
Faint comet
Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P)
sweeps past background stars in the constellation Taurus and even fainter
distant galaxies in this telescopic frame from September 7.
About 5 years ago,
this comet's 4 kilometer spanning, double-lobed nucleus
became the final resting place of
robots from
planet Earth,
following the completion of the historic Rosetta mission to the comet.
After wandering out beyond the orbit of Jupiter,
Churyumov-Gerasimenko is now returning along its 6.4 year
periodic orbit toward its next
perihelion or closest approach to the
Sun, on November 2.
On November 12, the comet's perigee, its closest approach to Earth,
will bring it within about 0.42 astronomical units.
Telescopes
should still be required to view it even at its brightest,
predicted to be in late November and December.
On September 7
Rosetta's comet
was about 0.65 astronomical units away or about 5.4 light-minutes
from
our fair planet.
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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