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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2025 April 18

Explanation: In late March, the comet now designated was found independently by Vladimir Bezugly, Michael Mattiazzo, and Rob Matson while examining publicly available image data from the Solar Wind ANisotropies (SWAN) camera on the sun-staring . Comet SWAN's coma, its greenish color a signature of diatomic carbon molecules fluorescing in sunlight, is at lower left in . SWAN's faint ion tail extends nearly two degrees toward the upper right across the field of view. The interplanetary scene was captured in clear but moonlit skies from June Lake, California on April 14. Seen against background of stars toward the constellation Andromeda, the comet was then some 10 light-minutes from our fair planet. for binoculars and small telescopes in northern hemisphere morning skies is headed for a perihelion, its closest approach to the Sun, on May 1. this visitor from the distant almost as close to the Sun as the orbit of inner planet Mercury.

Authors & editors: () & ()
NASA Official: Amber Straughn .

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