10/12/2016

APOD: 2016 December 8 - Whirlpool with Comets

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.
2016 December 8

Whirlpool with Comets

Image Credit & Copyright: Jos J. Chamb (Cometograa)
Explanation: Not a comet, bright spiral galaxy Messier 51 is popularly known as the Whirlpool Galaxy. Just off the handle of the Big Dipper in northern skies, you
can spot it at the upper left in this image from December 1st. The pretty 4 by 2.5 degree wide eld of view does contain two comets though. Different in appearance,
both comets are new visitors to the inner Solar System and are currently faint telescopic objects, highest above northern horizons in morning twilight. At lower left
newly discovered comet NEOWISE (C/2016 U1) shows off a round fuzzy coma in the greenish light of diatomic carbon gas uorescing in sunlight. Sunlight reects
from dust in the coma and stubby tail of comet Johnson (C/2015 V2) at upper right.
Tomorrow's picture: 256 million pixels in space
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