                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
 fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
                           professional astronomer.

                                2019 February 9
                                      [2]
                    Comet Iwamoto and the Sombrero Galaxy
        Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Ian Griffin [4]  (Otago Museum)

Explanation: Comet Iwamoto (C/2018 Y1) [5] , shows off a pretty, greenish coma
at the upper left in this telescopic field of view. Taken on February 4 from
the Mount John Observatory [6] , University of Canterbury, the 30 minute long
total exposure time shows the comet sweeping quickly across a background of
stars and distant galaxies in the constellation Virgo. The long exposure and
Iwamoto's rapid motion [7]  relative to the stars and galaxies results in the
noticeable blurred streak tracing the the comet's bright inner coma. In fact,
the streaked coma gives the comet a remarkably similar appearance to Messier
104 at lower right, popularly known as the Sombrero Galaxy. The comet, a
visitor to the inner Solar System, is a mere 4 light-minutes away though,
while majestic Messier 104 [8] , a spiral galaxy posing edge-on, is 30 million
light-years distant. The first binocular comet [9]  of 2019, Iwamoto will pass
closest to Earth on February 12. This comet's highly elliptical orbit around
the Sun stretches beyond the Kuiper belt [10] with an estimated 1,371 year
orbital period. That should bring it back to the inner Solar System in 3390
AD.

                      Tomorrow's picture: Venus Unveiled

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Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] image/1902/Iwamoto-104-2019griffin.jpg
  [3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [4] https://twitter.com/iangriffin
  [5] https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/ c-2018-y1-iwamoto-jan-feb-2019
  [6] https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/science/
field-and-research-stations/mount-john-observatory/
  [7] https://twitter.com/iangriffin/status/1092297967925514240
  [8] http://heritage.stsci.edu/2003/28/caption.html
  [9] https://www.universetoday.com/141385/
comet-y1-iwamoto-tops-out-in-february/
  [10] ap190129.html
  [11] ap190208.html
  [12] archivepix.html
  [13] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [14] lib/aptree.html
  [15] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  [16] calendar/allyears.html
  [17] /apod.rss
  [18] lib/edlinks.html
  [19] lib/about_apod.html
  [20] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=190209
  [21] ap190210.html
  [22] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [24] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  [25] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [26] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
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  [28] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [29] https://www.nasa.gov/
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  [31] http://www.mtu.edu/
