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.

                              2021 November 13
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                          Rosetta's Comet in Gemini
       Image Credit & [3]Copyright: Rolando Ligustri ([4]CARA Project,
                                  [5]CAST)

   Explanation: [6]Returning along its 6.4 year orbit, periodic comet
   Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) is caught in this telescopic frame from
   November 7. Sweeping past background stars in the constellation Gemini
   the comet's dusty tail stretches toward the upper right to Upsilon
   Geminorum. [7]Also known as Pollux, Beta Geminorum, Gemini's brightest
   star, shines just off the upper left edge of the field-of-view.
   [8]Churyumov-Gerasimenko reached its 2021 perihelion or closest
   approach to the Sun on November 2. At perigee, its closest approach to
   planet Earth on November 12, this comet was about 0.42 astronomical
   units away, though it remains too faint to be seen by eye alone. [9]The
   well-studied comet was explored by robots from planet Earth during its
   last trip through the inner solar system. It's now famous as the final
   resting place for the historic [10]Rosetta spacecraft and Philae
   lander.

                     Tomorrow's picture: What that was.
     __________________________________________________________________

      [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/2111/67P_211107.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. http://cara.uai.it/
   5. http://www.castfvg.it/
   6. https://theskylive.com/67p-info
   7. http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/pollux.html
   8. https://www.planetary.org/articles/rosettas-ancient-comet
   9. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/comet-discovered-to-have-its-own-northern-lights
  10. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/rosetta-philae/in-depth/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211112.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=211113
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211114.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/