APOD: Comet Iwamoto Before Spiral Galaxy... (2019 Feb 19)

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APOD: Comet Iwamoto Before Spiral Galaxy... (2019 Feb 19)

Post by APOD Robot » Tue Feb 19, 2019 5:13 am

Image Comet Iwamoto Before Spiral Galaxy NGC 2903

Explanation: It isn't every night that a comet passes a galaxy. Last Thursday, though, binocular comet C/2018 Y1 (Iwamoto) moved nearly in front of a spiral galaxy of approximately the same brightness: NGC 2903. Comet Iwamoto was discovered late last year and orbits the Sun in a long ellipse. It last visited the inner Solar System during the Middle Ages, around the year 648. The comet reached its closest point to the Sun -- between Earth and Mars -- on February 6, and its closest point to Earth a few days ago, on February 13. The featured time-lapse video condenses almost three hours into about ten seconds, and was captured last week from Switzerland. At that time Comet Iwamoto, sporting a green coma, was about 10 light minutes distant, while spiral galaxy NGC 2903 remained about 30 million light years away. Two satellites zip diagonally through the field about a third of the way through the video. Typically, a few comets each year become as bright as Comet Iwamoto.

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Ann
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Re: APOD: Comet Iwamoto Before Spiral Galaxy... (2019 Feb 19)

Post by Ann » Tue Feb 19, 2019 6:35 am

NGC 2903. Hubble Legacy Archive/wiyn/Al Kelly/Arne Henden /Robert Gendler/
Science Photo Library















At right is the galaxy that Comet Iwamoto almost knocked down from its cosmic perch.

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Re: APOD: Comet Iwamoto Before Spiral Galaxy... (2019 Feb 19)

Post by Boomer12k » Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:00 am

So cool...

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Re: APOD: Comet Iwamoto Before Spiral Galaxy... (2019 Feb 19)

Post by LMMdT » Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:09 am

A very nice video, congratulations!

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Re: APOD: Comet Iwamoto Before Spiral Galaxy... (2019 Feb 19)

Post by starsurfer » Tue Feb 19, 2019 12:05 pm

This is one of the most relaxing APODs I have seen.

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Re: APOD: Comet Iwamoto Before Spiral Galaxy... (2019 Feb 19)

Post by orin stepanek » Tue Feb 19, 2019 1:40 pm

I didn't even look for Iwamoto As I'm alergic to the cold! :wink: :lol2: I am usually very interested in comets! 8-)
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

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Re: APOD: Comet Iwamoto Before Spiral Galaxy... (2019 Feb 19)

Post by Sherwood » Tue Feb 19, 2019 1:50 pm

What is the time-frame for the video? How long did it actually take to move the apparent distance in the frame?

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Re: APOD: Comet Iwamoto Before Spiral Galaxy... (2019 Feb 19)

Post by Chris Peterson » Tue Feb 19, 2019 2:06 pm

Sherwood wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 1:50 pm What is the time-frame for the video? How long did it actually take to move the apparent distance in the frame?
Per the caption, three hours.
Chris

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