Comet Hyakutake
by Gordon Garradd/science Photo Library
Title
Comet Hyakutake
Artist
Gordon Garradd/science Photo Library
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Comet Hyakutake. Optical image of Comet Hyakutake seen between the constellations of Bootes (centre) and Ursa Major (bottom centre). It was one of the brightest comets to appear in the sky. The closest approach with the Earth occurred on March 25th 1996 when the comet passed at about 15 million km from the Earth. Comets are bodies, mostly formed by water ice, with a diameter of a few kilometres and orbiting the Sun with usually highly elongated orbits. When a comet approaches the Sun the water ice vaporises to form a tail of gas and dust pointing away from the Sun. The image was taken on March 24th 1996 from Australia.
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September 12th, 2018
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