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.

                                2024 March 18
   [2]A comet is pictured with a really long and wavy ion tail. The front
   of the comet -- its coma -- appears to be a spiral. The coma is green,
    the tail is faint blue, and part of the swirl is red. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                      Comet Pons-Brooks' Swirling Coma
               Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Jan Erik Vallestad

   Explanation: A bright comet will be visible during next month's total
   solar eclipse. This very [4]unusual coincidence occurs because [5]Comet
   12P/Pons-Brooks's return to the inner Solar System places it by chance
   only [6]25 degrees away from the Sun during Earth's [7]April 8 total
   solar eclipse. Currently [8]the comet is just on the [9]edge of
   visibility to the unaided eye, best visible with binoculars in the
   early evening sky toward the [10]constellation of the Fish
   ([11]Pisces). [12]Comet Pons-Brooks, though, is putting on quite a show
   for deep camera images even now. The [13]featured image is a
   [14]composite of three very specific colors, showing the comet's
   ever-changing [15]ion tail in light blue, its outer [16]coma in green,
   and highlights some red-glowing gas around the coma in a [17]spiral.
   The spiral is thought to be caused by gas being expelled by the slowly
   [18]rotating nucleus of the giant iceberg comet. Although it is always
   difficult to predict the future brightness of comets, [19]Comet
   Pons-Brook has been particularly prone to [20]outbursts, making it even
   more difficult to predict how bright it will actually be as the
   [21]Moon moves in front of the Sun on [22]April 8.

         Total Eclipse Info: [23]2024 Total Solar Eclipse from NASA
                       Tomorrow's picture: sunset road
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [35]Robert Nemiroff ([36]MTU) & [37]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([38]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [39]Specific rights apply.
            [40]NASA Web Privacy, [41]Accessibility, [42]Notices;
                A service of: [43]ASD at [44]NASA / [45]GSFC,
                         [46]NASA Science Activation
                           & [47]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2403/CometPonsBrook_Vallestad_2564.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/janvalphotography/
   4. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/stunning-comet-could-photobomb-this-aprils-total-solar-eclipse/
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12P/Pons–Brooks
   6. https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/degrees.html
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230418.html
   8. https://youtu.be/BRlZlw1xw3A?t=107
   9. https://theskylive.com/how-bright-is-12p
  10. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/constellations/en/
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisces_(constellation)
  12. https://theskylive.com/12p-info
  13. https://www.astrobin.com/eqxd1j/B/
  14. https://media.gettyimages.com/id/200202597-001/photo/man-and-woman-metamorphasised-as-cat-and-dog.jpg?s=1024x1024&w=gi&k=20&c=rJB50XdSMxn9imcozdd2_f-HDv7S8TQEmy04gg1NofE=
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200429.html
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coma_(comet)
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240101.html
  18. https://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=16508
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240216.html
  20. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/see-comet-12p-pons-brooks-in-outburst/
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170820.html
  22. https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/where-when/
  23. https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/where-when/
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240317.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  30. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  33. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240318
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240319.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  37. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  38. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  43. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  46. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  47. http://www.mtu.edu/