Starship Asterisk*

Three Galaxies and a Comet

Explanation: Diffuse starlight and dark nebulae along the southern Milky Way arc over the horizon and sprawl diagonally through this gorgeous nightscape. The breath-taking mosaic spans a wide 100 degrees, with the rugged terrain of the Patagonia, Argentina region in the foreground. Along with the insider's view of our own galaxy, the image features our outside perspective on two irregular satellite galaxies - the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The scene also captures the broad tail and bright coma of Comet McNaught, the Great Comet of 2007.

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Awesome!!

:---[===] *

Comet McNaught was certainly a great comet! It was a southern hemisphere comet, so it didn't get the attention it deserved.

But today's heading made me hope for another three galaxies than the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds accompanying a comet!












I was inspired to search for other "galaxies + comet" images, and in my search I stumbled on something that made my Color Commentator heart nostalgic. Take a look at this portrait of Comet NEAT (Q4) from 2004. Chris Schur's image was the APOD of May 12, 2004. Can you guess what the APOD caption said about the appearance and colors of the comet?

Visible is a long blue ion tail, a blue coma surrounding the comet's nucleus, and a shorter but brighter sunlight reflecting dust tail.

Incredible!!! The caption didn't even mention the yellowish tint of the dust tail, and it called the comet coma blue!!!

That just goes to show how popular and interesting the color blue used to be some fifteen years ago, and how boring and unremarkable it is seen to be today.

Ann

Speaking of three galaxies and a comet, here is another example. The three galaxies are Andromeda (M31), NGC 205 (below the disk of Andromeda) and M32 (the brightest of the lights in the upper left rim of the disk of Andromeda).

I like the portrait of Andromeda here. The inner bulge is very bright, but the rest of the galaxy is quite dim. That is what great M31 really looks like!

And the comet must have been quite bright!

Juan Carlos Casado's beautiful picture was the APOD of January 31, 2004.

Ann

thanks Ann. Nice additions to an awesome APOD.

Brian

bls0326 wrote:thanks Ann. Nice additions to an awesome APOD.

Brian

Myself and I'm sure many others agree.

Ann wrote:... just goes to show how popular and interesting the color blue used to be some fifteen years ago, and how boring and unremarkable it is seen to be today.

Ann

Myself and many others don't agree. Don't be sad Ann. We like blue too.

Bruce

Four galaxies and a comet... Centaurus A is visible on the top left !!!!