                        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.

                                2024 April 4

                         Comet Pons-Brooks at Night
                   Image Credit & Copyright: Dan Bartlett`

   Explanation: In dark evening skies over June Lake, northern hemisphere,
   planet Earth, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks stood just above the western
   horizon on March 30. Its twisted turbulent ion tail and diffuse
   greenish coma are captured in this two degree wide telescopic field of
   view along with bright yellowish star Hamal also known as Alpha
   Arietis. Now Pons-Brooks has moved out of the northern night though,
   approaching perihelion on April 21. On April 8 you might still spot the
   comet in daytime skies. But to do it, you will have to stand in the
   path of totality and look away from the spectacle of an alluring solar
   corona and totally eclipsed Sun.

             NASA Coverage: Total Solar Eclipse of 2024 April 8
                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

