APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
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.
More Jets from Comet Hale-Bopp
Explanation: Explanation : Comets become fountains of gas and dust as they get near the Sun . Solar heat vaporizes the outer layers of these spectacular orbiting icebergs , exposing caverns of pressurized gas that erupt into jets . The above digitally enhanced image of Comet Hale-Bopp was taken on January 29 th and highlights several of these dust jets. Here, background stars appear as faint raised streaks. Comet Hale-Bopp is currently brighter than most stars, and is visible in the morning sky . Comet Hale-Bopp will continue to brighten and develop an extended tail until April.
| Date | February 13, 1997 |
|---|---|
| Credit |
More Jets From Comet Hale-Bopp Credit: J. A. DeYoung (USNO) |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |