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The Region Around the Nucleus of Comet Hyakutake
This image is 2070 miles across (3340 km) and shows that most of the dust is being produced on the sunward-facing hemisphere of the comet. Also at upper left are three small pieces which have broken off the comet and are forming their own tails.
Icy regions on the nucleus are activated as they rotate into sunlight, ejecting large amounts of dust in the jets that are faintly visible in this image. Sunlight striking this dust eventually turns it around and "blows" it into the tailward hemisphere. What might be another jet is emanating from the nightside of the nucleus, but this direction might be misleading due to the angle of the jet relative to our line-of-site.
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Comet Hyakutake
- Release DateMarch 27, 1996
- Science ReleaseHubble Probes Inner Region of Comet Hyakutake
- CreditScience Release Credit: H. Weaver (ARC), HST Comet Hyakutake Observing Team and NASA
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Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
