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                           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 March 9   
      
                       Comet Pons-Brooks in Northern Spring   
      Image Credit & Copyright: Petr Hor+ílek / Institute of Physics in Opava   
      
      Explanation: As spring approaches for northern skygazers Comet   
      12P/Pons-Brooks is growing brighter. Currently visible with small   
      telescopes and binoculars the Halley-type comet could reach naked eye   
      visibility in the coming weeks. Seen despite a foggy atmosphere, the   
      comet's green coma and long tail hover near the horizon, in this   
      well-composed deep night skyscape from Revuca, Slovakia recorded on   
      March 5. In the sky above the Halley-type comet, the Andromeda (right)   
      and Triangulum galaxies flank bright star Mirach, beta star of the   
      constellation Andromeda. The two spiral galaxies are members of our   
      local galaxy group and over 2.5 million light-years distant. Comet   
      Pons-Brooks is a periodic visitor to the inner Solar System and less   
      than 14 light-minutes away. Reaching its perihelion on April 21, this   
      comet should be visible in the sky during the April 8 total solar   
      eclipse.   
      
                    Tomorrow's picture: at the End of the World   
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          Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)   
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