Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]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
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                         Comet Halley vs Comet SWAN
            Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Luc Perrot ([5]TWAN)

   Explanation: [6]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 [7]Comet 1/P Halley, the annual meteor shower is
   [8]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 [9]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 [10]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
     __________________________________________________________________

      [11]< | [12]Archive | [13]Submissions | [14]Index | [15]Search |
   [16]Calendar | [17]RSS | [18]Education | [19]About APOD | [20]Discuss |
                                    [21]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [22]Robert Nemiroff ([23]MTU) & [24]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([25]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [26]Specific rights apply.
              [27]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [28]ASD at [29]NASA / [30]GSFC
                           & [31]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2005/SWAN1_perrot.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. http://www.lucperrot.fr/?auteur
   5. http://twanight.org/Perrot
   6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wa69Hp2uPc
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halley%27s_Comet
   8. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/meteors-and-meteorites/eta-aquarids/in-depth/
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200508.html
  10. https://www.space.com/comet-swan-may-be-dimming.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200512.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  15. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  20. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=200513
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200515.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  25. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  28. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  31. http://www.mtu.edu/