Astronomy Picture of the Day

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

                                 2020 May 14

                         Comet Halley vs Comet SWAN
                 Image Credit & Copyright: Luc Perrot (TWAN)

   Explanation: The pre-dawn hours of May 3rd were moonless as grains of
   cosmic dust streaked through southern skies above Reunion Island. Swept
   up as planet Earth plowed through dusty debris streams left behind
   periodic Comet 1/P Halley, the annual meteor shower is known as the Eta
   Aquarids. This inspired exposure captures a bright aquarid meteor
   flashing left to right over a sea of clouds. The meteor streak points
   back to the shower's radiant in the constellation Aquarius, well above
   the eastern horizon and off the top of the frame. Known for speed Eta
   Aquarid meteors move fast, entering the atmosphere at about 66
   kilometers per second, visible at altitudes of 100 kilometers or so.
   Then about 6 light-minutes from Earth, the pale greenish coma and long
   tail of Comet C/2020 F8 SWAN were not to be left out of the celestial
   scene, posing above the volcanic peaks left of center. Now in the
   northern sky's morning twilight near the eastern horizon Comet SWAN has
   not become as bright as anticipated though. This first time comet made
   its closest approach to planet Earth only two days ago and reaches
   perihelion on May 27.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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