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.

                               2025 January 20
     [2]A comet is seen near the top of the image. The comet has several
     tails visible, some being white but others having different colors.
          Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                         Comet ATLAS Rounds the Sun
     Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]SOHO Spacecraft, [5]LASCO C3; Processing:
                             [6]Rolando Ligustri

   Explanation: Why does Comet ATLAS have such colorful tails? Last week
   [7]Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) passed its closest to the [8]Sun -- well
   inside the orbit of [9]Mercury -- and brightened [10]dramatically.
   Unfortunately, the comet was then so angularly near the Sun that it was
   very hard for [11]humans to see. But NASA's [12]SOHO spacecraft saw it.
   Pictured is a SOHO ([13]LASCO C3) image of [14]Comet ATLAS that is a
   composite of several different color filters. Of the several tails
   visible, the central white tails are likely made of [15]dust and just
   reflecting back sunlight. The red, blue, and green tails are likely
   [16]ion tails with their colors dominated by light emitted by specific
   gases that were [17]ejected from the comet and energized by the Sun.
   Currently, [18]Comet ATLAS is showing [19]long tails in southern skies
   but fading as it moves out of the [20]inner Solar System.

                    Growing Gallery: [21]Comet ATLAS (G3)
                       Tomorrow's picture: long tails
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([36]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [37]Specific rights apply.
            [38]NASA Web Privacy, [39]Accessibility, [40]Notices;
                A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC,
                         [44]NASA Science Activation
                           & [45]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2501/CometG3Perihelion_SohoLigustri_960.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/
   5. https://lasco-www.nrl.navy.mil/
   6. https://www.instagram.com/rolandoligustri/
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2024_G3_(ATLAS)
   8. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190428.html
  10. https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/a47jhh/this_cat_is_happy_to_see_itself/#lightbox
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190818.html
  12. https://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/about/about.html
  13. https://lasco-www.nrl.navy.mil/
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250113.html
  15. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/*/Cometary+Dust+Tail
  16. http://www2.ess.ucla.edu/~jewitt/tail.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151118.html
  18. https://theskylive.com/c2024g3-info
  19. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=600057509389497
  20. https://science.nasa.gov/planetary-science/focus-areas/inner-solar-system/
  21. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.600449002683681&type=3
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250119.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  28. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  31. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250120
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250121.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  41. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  44. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  45. http://www.mtu.edu/