Astronomy Picture of the Day - Comet ATLAS Rounds the Sun

By Free Republic | Created at 2025-01-20 21:30:55 | Updated at 2025-01-21 01:41:28 4 hours ago

Astronomy Picture of the Day - Comet ATLAS Rounds the Sun
NASA ^ | 20 Jan, 2025 | Image Credit: NASA, SOHO Spacecraft, LASCO C3; Processing: Rolando Ligustri

Posted on 01/20/2025 1:20:17 PM PST by MtnClimber

Explanation: Why does Comet ATLAS have such colorful tails? Last week Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) passed its closest to the Sun -- well inside the orbit of Mercury -- and brightened dramatically. Unfortunately, the comet was then so angularly near the Sun that it was very hard for humans to see. But NASA's SOHO spacecraft saw it. Pictured is a SOHO (LASCO C3) image of Comet ATLAS that is a composite of several different color filters. Of the several tails visible, the central white tails are likely made of dust and just reflecting back sunlight. The red, blue, and green tails are likely ion tails with their colors dominated by light emitted by specific gases that were ejected from the comet and energized by the Sun. Currently, Comet ATLAS is showing long tails in southern skies but fading as it moves out of the inner Solar System.

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

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1 posted on 01/20/2025 1:20:17 PM PST by MtnClimber

To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 01/20/2025 1:20:37 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)

To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...

Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

3 posted on 01/20/2025 1:21:19 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)

To: MtnClimber

4 posted on 01/20/2025 1:24:00 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)

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