Comet Hale Bopp Over Val Parola Pass

Discover the universe! Each day a different image or photograph of our universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by an astronomer.

December 8th, 2021.
The featured image shows Hale-Bopp over the Dolomite.
The mountains appeared in 1997.
You can see the explanation for more detailed information.

There is a comet over Val Parola Pass.
The image is copyrighted by A. Dimai, (Col Druscie Obs.).

The great comet of 1997 became much brighter than any other stars. It was seen over bright city lights. It put on a great show away from the city lights. The Dolomite mountains surrounding Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, are where the picture was taken. The comet's blue ion tail is pushed out by the solar wind. The white dust tail is composed of larger particles of dust from the nucleus driven by the pressure of sunlight. Hale-Bopp was visible to the eye for 18 months, which was the longest visible comet in recorded history. The comet is expected to come back around 4385. The comet is getting brighter and may be visible to the eye.

The picture is of open space.

Robert Nemiroff is an author and Jerry Bonnell is an editor.
Phillip Newman has specific rights.
NASA has a privacy policy on the internet.
There is a service at NASA.
& Michigan Tech. U.

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Discover the universe! Each day a different image or photograph of our universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by an astronomer.

December 9th, 2021.
See the explanation. Clicking on the picture will bring you to the download page.
The highest resolution version is available.

A total eclipse of the sun.
Theo Boris, Christian A.
Zev Hoover and Ronald Dantowitz wereCompositing.

Few were able to watch the total eclipse of the Sun on December 4. The narrow path of totality tracked across the southernmost part of the planet was determined by the mechanics of the stars. Eclipse chasers were rewarded with a dazzling spectacle in the cold but clear skies. A ground-based telescope inside the shadow path at Union Glacier caught a glimpse of the sun near the top of the moon. There are solar prominences above the Sun's limb. The solar corona, the Sun's outer atmosphere, was seen in the view far from the Sun's edge.

The picture is in space.

Robert Nemiroff is an author and Jerry Bonnell is an editor.
Phillip Newman has specific rights.
NASA has a privacy policy on the internet.
There is a service at NASA.
& Michigan Tech. U.