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Keyword: c2006p1

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  • Astronomy Picture of the Day - The Magnificent Tail of Comet McNaught

    10/06/2024 11:51:28 AM PDT · by MtnClimber · 14 replies
    NASA ^ | 6 Oct, 2024 | Image Credit & Copyright: Robert H. McNaught
    Explanation: Comet McNaught, the Great Comet of 2007, grew a spectacularly long and filamentary tail. The magnificent tail spread across the sky and was visible for several days to Southern Hemisphere observers just after sunset. The amazing ion tail showed its greatest extent on long-duration, wide-angle camera exposures. During some times, just the tail itself was visible just above the horizon for many northern observers as well. Comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught), estimated to have attained a peak brightness of magnitude -5 (minus five), was caught by the comet's discoverer in the featured image just after sunset in January 2007 from...