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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Comet ZTF over Yosemite Falls
APOD.NASA.gov ^ | 21 Feb, 2023 | Image Credit & Copyright: Tara Mostofi

Posted on 02/21/2023 12:31:44 PM PST by MtnClimber

Explanation: They are both falling. The water in Yosemite Falls, California, USA, is falling toward the Earth. Comet ZTF is falling toward the Sun. This double cosmic cascade was captured late last month as fading Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) had just passed its closest to planet Earth. The orange star just over the falls is Kochab. With the exception of a brief encounter with a black bear, the featured image was a well-planned composite of a moonlit-foreground and long-duration background exposures - all designed to reconstruct a deep version of an actual single sight. Although Comet ZTF is now fading as it glides back to the outer Solar System, its path is determined by gravity and so it can be considered to still be falling toward the Sun -- but backwards.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: nasa
To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 02/21/2023 12:31:44 PM PST by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 02/21/2023 12:32:01 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; America_Right; AZ .44 MAG; ...
Pinging the APOD list.

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔


3 posted on 02/21/2023 12:32:41 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

bttt


4 posted on 02/21/2023 12:34:54 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: MtnClimber

Another Russian balloon. Need to shoot it down…


5 posted on 02/21/2023 12:39:03 PM PST by George J. Jetso
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To: MtnClimber

I differ with the statement that they are both falling. As I understand it that comet has already gone past its closest point to the sun. According to the literature, the comet is not n an orbit that will take it away from our sun forever. That means that the comet is rising.


6 posted on 02/21/2023 4:01:41 PM PST by webheart
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To: webheart

…now in… not not n


7 posted on 02/21/2023 4:03:12 PM PST by webheart
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