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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Comet PanSTARRS and the Helix Nebula
NASA ^
| Sunday, June 05, 2016
| (see photo credit)
Posted on 06/05/2016 4:16:28 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: It's rare that such different objects are imaged so close together. Such an occasion is occurring now, though, and was captured two days ago in combined parallel exposures from the Canary Islands of Spain. On the lower right, surrounded by a green coma and emanating an unusually split blue ion tail diagonally across the frame, is Comet C/2013 X1 (PanSTARRS). This giant snowball has been falling toward our Sun and brightening since its discovery in 2013. Although Comet PannSTARRS is a picturesque target for long-duration exposures of astrophotography, it is expected to be only barely visible to the unaided eye when it reaches its peak brightness in the next month. On the upper left, surrounded by red-glowing gas, is the also-picturesque Helix Nebula. At 700 light years distant, the Helix is not only much further away than the comet, but is expected to retain its appearance for thousands of years.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; c2013x1; canaryislands; cometc2013x1; cometpanstarrs; greencomet; helixnebula; nebula; science; spain
[Credit and Copyright: Fritz Helmut Hemmerich]
1
posted on
06/05/2016 4:16:29 PM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; disndat; KoRn; Grammy; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; dayglored; ...
2
posted on
06/05/2016 4:18:12 PM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(I'll tell you what's wrong with society -- no one drinks from the skulls of their enemies anymore.)
To: SunkenCiv
Electric/Plasma Universe people should enjoy this one:
red-glowing gas together with the giant snowball!
3
posted on
06/05/2016 4:25:18 PM PDT
by
Zuse
(I am disrupted! I am offended! I am insulted! I am outraged!)
To: SunkenCiv
Now that is truly gorgeous!
4
posted on
06/05/2016 4:38:28 PM PDT
by
Talisker
(One who commands, must obey.)
To: Talisker
5
posted on
06/05/2016 4:52:37 PM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(I'll tell you what's wrong with society -- no one drinks from the skulls of their enemies anymore.)
To: SunkenCiv
What would an amber light indicate?
6
posted on
06/05/2016 5:03:40 PM PDT
by
Talisker
(One who commands, must obey.)
To: Talisker
7
posted on
06/05/2016 5:09:08 PM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(I'll tell you what's wrong with society -- no one drinks from the skulls of their enemies anymore.)
To: SunkenCiv
Red, amber, green? Lol. Or red light turning to green light, without needing a yellow in that direction.
Stop it. You make me start thinking like that, I'm going to drink a few beers and then start posting hollow earth stories...
8
posted on
06/05/2016 7:20:37 PM PDT
by
Talisker
(One who commands, must obey.)
To: SunkenCiv
To: SunkenCiv
Here's a comparison of the photo with my Starry Night imagery for 10:43PM CDT June 2, 1016. I used my home location by deleting the "horizon" so that I can look in any direction in space. The comet's location changes on this scale over the course of few hours, and this seems like a pretty good match.
10
posted on
06/05/2016 7:29:38 PM PDT
by
dr_lew
To: Larry Lucido
That was just her stage name.
11
posted on
06/06/2016 3:42:57 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(I'll tell you what's wrong with society -- no one drinks from the skulls of their enemies anymore.)
To: dr_lew
12
posted on
06/06/2016 3:43:22 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(I'll tell you what's wrong with society -- no one drinks from the skulls of their enemies anymore.)
To: Talisker
13
posted on
06/06/2016 3:43:57 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(I'll tell you what's wrong with society -- no one drinks from the skulls of their enemies anymore.)
To: Zuse; Swordmaker
Thanks Zuse, you may be onto something there.
14
posted on
06/06/2016 5:00:05 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(I'll tell you what's wrong with society -- no one drinks from the skulls of their enemies anymore.)
To: Zuse; 1FreeAmerican; A. Patriot; AndrewC; antonia; aristotleman; Boogieman; Carilisa; Churchjack; ..
Electric Universe . . . A green comet? Yup. Shown against a background of a nebula which is also a plasma phenomena. PING!
Comet PanSTARRS and the Helix Nebula
If you want on or off the Electric Universe Ping List, Freepmail me.
15
posted on
06/06/2016 11:02:32 AM PDT
by
Swordmaker
(This tag line is a Microsoft insult free zone... but if the insults to Mac users continue..)
To: Zuse
I was hoping after we landed on one and found no snow, they might stop calling them “snowballs”. No luck, I guess.
To: Talisker
That somebody called the amber lamps.
To: Boogieman
That somebody called the amber lamps. I actually thought of that. Proof I've been on FR to much.
And you have too!
18
posted on
06/06/2016 12:07:41 PM PDT
by
Talisker
(One who commands, must obey.)
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