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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Comet ATLAS Rounds the Sun
NASA ^ | 20 Jan, 2025 | Image Credit: NASA, SOHO Spacecraft, LASCO C3; Processing: Rolando Ligustri

Posted on 01/20/2025 1:20:17 PM PST by MtnClimber

Explanation: Why does Comet ATLAS have such colorful tails? Last week Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) passed its closest to the Sun -- well inside the orbit of Mercury -- and brightened dramatically. Unfortunately, the comet was then so angularly near the Sun that it was very hard for humans to see. But NASA's SOHO spacecraft saw it. Pictured is a SOHO (LASCO C3) image of Comet ATLAS that is a composite of several different color filters. Of the several tails visible, the central white tails are likely made of dust and just reflecting back sunlight. The red, blue, and green tails are likely ion tails with their colors dominated by light emitted by specific gases that were ejected from the comet and energized by the Sun. Currently, Comet ATLAS is showing long tails in southern skies but fading as it moves out of the inner Solar System.


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 01/20/2025 1:20:17 PM PST by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 01/20/2025 1:20:37 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list

πŸͺ 🌟 🌌 πŸ”

3 posted on 01/20/2025 1:21:19 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

bttt


4 posted on 01/20/2025 1:24:00 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

That is a starship engaging the warp drive.


5 posted on 01/20/2025 2:05:25 PM PST by minnesota_bound (Need more money to buy everything now)
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To: MtnClimber

That’s an amazing picture! I don’t recall EVER seeing a photograph of a comet with red in its tail.


6 posted on 01/20/2025 3:08:52 PM PST by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! πŸ”­)
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To: minnesota_bound; MtnClimber
It does look like a starship! Can't say anything about warp though.

Slide.... Based on my very elementary College undergraduate level science classes and recent reading pulling out of warp might cause some destructive shock waves in the neighborhood of the stopping point. Interesting recent article on warp drive.

Article subluminal-warp-drive-is-possible-through-known-physics

Slide over.

7 posted on 01/20/2025 5:54:56 PM PST by Pete from Shawnee Mission ( )
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To: MtnClimber

If I use my eclipse/solar on my binos or camera lens, will I pick up the comet?


8 posted on 01/21/2025 6:59:27 AM PST by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig (To you all, my loyal spell checkers....nothing but prospect and admiral nation.)
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