MSGID: 1:153/757.0 b43889f8   
   TZUTC: -0700   
   CHRS: LATIN-1 2   
                           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 June 4   
      A dark star filled sky is shown with the wisps extending the length of   
        the image. The wisps are the two tails of Comet 12P. A particularly   
        bright star is visible near the bottom of the frame. Please see the   
                    explanation for more detailed information.   
      
                     Comet Pons-Brooks Develops Opposing Tails   
             Image Credit & Copyright: Rolando Ligustri & Lukas Demetz   
      
      Explanation: Why does Comet Pons-Brooks now have tails pointing in   
      opposite directions? The most spectacular tail is the blue-glowing ion   
      tail that is visible flowing down the image. The ion tail is pushed   
      directly out from the Sun by the solar wind. On the upper right is the   
      glowing central coma of Comet 12P/PonsCÇôBrooks. Fanning out from the   
      coma, mostly to the left, is the comet's dust tail. Pushed out and   
      slowed down by the pressure of sunlight, the dust tail tends to trail   
      the comet along its orbit and, from some viewing angles, can appear   
      opposite to the ion tail. The distant, bright star Alpha Leporis is   
      seen at the bottom of the featured image captured last week from   
      Namibia. Two days ago, the comet passed its closest to the Earth and is   
      now best visible from southern skies as it dims and glides back to the   
      outer Solar System.   
      
                        Tomorrow's picture: mystery martian   
        __________________________________________________________________   
      
          Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)   
               NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.   
                     NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;   
                         A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,   
                              NASA Science Activation   
                                & Michigan Tech. U.   
      
   --- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7   
    * Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)   
   SEEN-BY: 90/1 105/81 106/201 128/260 129/305 134/100 153/135 143 148   
   SEEN-BY: 153/757 6809 7083 7715 218/700 840 221/1 6 360 226/30 227/114   
   SEEN-BY: 229/110 112 113 206 307 317 400 426 428 470 664 700 240/1120   
   SEEN-BY: 266/512 282/1038 291/111 301/1 113 812 320/219 322/757 335/364   
   SEEN-BY: 341/66 342/200 396/45 460/58 256 1124 633/280 712/848 5020/400   
   SEEN-BY: 5020/1042 5054/30 5075/35   
   PATH: 153/757 221/6 301/1 460/58 229/426