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.

                              2023 September 3
     [2]A fuzzy comet is shown in gray on the upper left against a dark
     space background. The comet's tail extends diagnonally to the lower
   right. The main part of the comet is seen broken up into many trailing
      pieces. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                   Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 Fragments
    Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, H. Weaver ([5]JHU / [6]APL), M. Mutchler and
                             Z. Levay ([7]STScI)

   Explanation: Periodic comet [8]73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 has broken up
   at least twice. A [9]cosmic souffle of ice and dust left over from the
   early solar system, this comet was first [10]seen to split into several
   large pieces during the close-in part of its orbit in 1995. However,
   [11]in the 2006 passage, it disintegrated into dozens of fragments that
   stretched several degrees across the sky. Since [12]comets are
   relatively fragile, stresses from heat, gravity and outgassing, for
   example, could be responsible for their tendency [13]to break up in
   such a spectacular fashion when they near the [14]hot Sun. The Hubble
   Space Telescope [15]recorded, in 2006, the featured sharp view of
   prolific [16]Fragment B, itself trailing a multitude of smaller pieces,
   each with its own cometary coma and tail. The picture spans over 3,000
   kilometers at the comet's distance of 32 million kilometers from
   [17]planet Earth.

                       Tomorrow's picture: star bursts
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [29]Robert Nemiroff ([30]MTU) & [31]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([32]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [33]Specific rights apply.
              [34]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [35]ASD at [36]NASA / [37]GSFC,
                         [38]NASA Science Activation
                           & [39]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2309/fragb73p_hst_960.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.esa.int/
   5. https://physics-astronomy.jhu.edu/
   6. https://www.jhuapl.edu/
   7. https://www.stsci.edu/
   8. http://cometography.com/pcomets/073p.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050915.html
  10. https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2016/news-2016-35.html
  11. https://skyandtelescope.org/press-releases/comet-schwassmann-wachmann-3-at-its-best/
  12. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/comets/overview/
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000811.html
  14. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d1/bb/1b/d1bb1bcb8e244356d0bd053e134344a3.jpg
  15. https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/videos/2006/18/527-Video.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060426.html
  17. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-earth/
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230902.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  22. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  27. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230903
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230904.html
  29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  32. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  35. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  38. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  39. http://www.mtu.edu/