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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Comet Pons-Brooks in Northern Spring
NASA ^ | 9 Mar, 2024 | Image Credit & Copyright: Petr Horรกlek / Institute of Physics in Opava

Posted on 03/09/2024 12:25:15 PM PST by MtnClimber

Explanation: As spring approaches for northern skygazers, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is growing brighter. Currently visible with small telescopes and binoculars, the Halley-type comet could reach naked eye visibility in the coming weeks. Seen despite a foggy atmosphere, the comet's green coma and long tail hover near the horizon in this well-composed deep night skyscape from Revuca, Slovakia recorded on March 5. In the sky above the comet, the Andromeda (right) and Triangulum galaxies flank bright star Mirach, beta star of the constellation Andromeda. The two spiral galaxies are members of our local galaxy group and over 2.5 million light-years distant. Comet Pons-Brooks is a periodic visitor to the inner Solar System and less than 14 light-minutes away. Reaching its perihelion on April 21, this comet should be visible in the sky during the April 8 total solar eclipse.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; 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 03/09/2024 12:25:15 PM PST by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 03/09/2024 12:25:36 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; Agatsu77; America_Right; ...
Pinging the APOD list.

๐Ÿช ๐ŸŒŸ ๐ŸŒŒ ๐Ÿ”


3 posted on 03/09/2024 12:26:21 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
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To: MtnClimber

Visible in the US?


4 posted on 03/09/2024 12:38:05 PM PST by ealgeone
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To: ealgeone
Visible in the US?

You have to be pretty far north to see it. The photo from Slovakia is from about the same latitude as Maine. The comet is approaching the northern horizon even that far north. Then it will be in the sky during daytime where you can't see it except if you are in the total solar eclipse.

5 posted on 03/09/2024 12:47:46 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
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To: MtnClimber

We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight.
We’re gonna rock, gonna rock til broad daylight...

Oops wrong comet.


6 posted on 03/09/2024 12:49:08 PM PST by Ken H (Trump 2024)
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To: MtnClimber

Thank you....was afraid of that. That’d be awesome to see.


7 posted on 03/09/2024 12:53:41 PM PST by ealgeone
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To: MtnClimber

When that galaxy hits us, it is lights out!


8 posted on 03/10/2024 1:37:35 AM PST by minnesota_bound (Need more money to buy everything now)
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To: MtnClimber

But the NASA page says

As spring approaches for northern skygazers, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is growing brighter. Currently visible with small telescopes and binoculars, the Halley-type comet could reach naked eye visibility in the coming weeks.


9 posted on 03/14/2024 11:44:36 AM PDT by Bigg Red (Trump will be sworn in under a shower of confetti made from the tattered remains of the Rat Party.)
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To: Bigg Red
for northern skygazers

You have to be far enough north or it will be below the horizon.

10 posted on 03/14/2024 12:05:25 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
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To: MtnClimber

Okay, thanks.


11 posted on 03/14/2024 3:11:13 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Trump will be sworn in under a shower of confetti made from the tattered remains of the Rat Party.)
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