Astronomy Picture of the Day - The Dust Trail of Comet Tempel 2

NASA ^ | 17 Jul, 2026 | Image Credit & Copyright: Dan Bartlett

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: Comet 10P/Tempel 2 orbits the Sun once every 5.4 years. Currently visible in binoculars or small telescopes toward the constellation Capricornus, the periodic comet is captured in this sharp telescopic image from July 11 sporting a bright nuclear region and pretty greenish coma. Remarkably, a thin dust trail, not a typical dust tail, is also seen extending both east and west of the Tempel 2 nucleus. Unlike a comet dust tail, which tends to temporarily fan out in a direction away from the Sun, this dust trail is due to the residual dust shed during many past orbits along this ancient periodic comet's orbital plane. In fact, Tempel 2's dust trail may get a little narrower and brighter from our perspective as Earth crosses through the comet's orbital plane on July 20. Comet 10P/Tempel 2 will reach a perihelion on August 2, and make its closest approach to Earth on August 3.

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TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa

[MtnClimber]

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[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

[No name given]

Wow.

[Kid Shelleen]

The Perseid Meteor Shower Begins Today: When To Watch

[Verginius Rufus]

The Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak on the night of August 12/13. There is a total eclipse of the sun on August 12 so there will be no moon visible that night...optimal conditions in terms of no interference with moonlight.

Note moonlight not moonshine.