﻿ Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]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 April 17 [2]The totally eclipsed Sun from 2024 April 8 is shown in the center. Two comets and two planets are also visible, and labeled as 12P, Mercury, SOHO-5008, and Venus. The two comets are shown in expanded form at the top in two inset images. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Total Eclipse and Comets Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Lin Zixuan ([4]Tsinghua U.) Explanation: Not one, but two comets appeared near the Sun during [5]last week's total solar eclipse. The expected comet was [6]Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, but it was disappointingly dimmer than many had hoped. However, relatively unknown [7]Comet SOHO-5008 also appeared in long duration camera exposures. [8]This comet was the 5008th comet identified on images taken by [9]ESA & [10]NASA's Sun-orbiting [11]SOHO spacecraft. Likely much smaller, Comet SOHO-5008 was a sungrazer which [12]disintegrated within hours as it passed too [13]near the Sun. The featured image is not only unusual for capturing [14]two comets during an eclipse, but one of the [15]rare times that a [16]sungrazing comet has been photographed from the Earth's surface. Also visible in the image is the [17]sprawling corona of [18]our Sun and the planets [19]Mercury (left) and [20]Venus (right). Of these planets and comets, only [21]Venus was easily visible to [22]millions of people in the [23]dark shadow of the Moon that [24]crossed North America on April 8. Solar Eclipse Imagery: [25]Notable Submissions to APOD Tomorrow's picture: open space __________________________________________________________________ [26]< | [27]Archive | [28]Submissions | [29]Index | [30]Search | [31]Calendar | [32]RSS | [33]Education | [34]About APOD | [35]Discuss | [36]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [37]Robert Nemiroff ([38]MTU) & [39]Jerry Bonnell ([40]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [41]Specific rights apply. [42]NASA Web Privacy, [43]Accessibility, [44]Notices; A service of: [45]ASD at [46]NASA / [47]GSFC, [48]NASA Science Activation & [49]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2404/EclipseComets_Zixuan_6105.jpg 3. mailto: linzx23 at mails.tsinghua.edu.cn 4. https://www.tsinghua.edu.cn/en/ 5. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/april-8-total-solar-eclipse-through-the-eyes-of-nasa/ 6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240408.html 7. https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/49697/20240411/sungrazer-comet-soho-5008-total-solar-eclipse.htm 8. https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/tiny-sungrazer-comet-discovered-photographed-and-destroyed-all-during-historic-total-solar-eclipse 9. https://www.esa.int/ 10. https://www.nasa.gov/ 11. https://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/about/spacecraft.html 12. https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2024/04/12/this-comet-did-not-survive-the-eclipse/ 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240219.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap171002.html 15. https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/nicos-nextbots-fanmade/images/2/23/WOW_Three_Cats.png 16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sungrazing_comet 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230516.html 18. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/ 19. https://science.nasa.gov/mercury/ 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220306.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230306.html 22. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/millions-of-people-witness-rare-total-solar-eclipse-across-north-america 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240324.html 24. https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/where-when 25. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.410844681644115&type=3 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240416.html 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 32. https://apod.com/feed.rss 33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 35. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240417 36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240418.html 37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 38. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 39. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 40. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 41. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 42. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 43. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 44. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 45. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 46. https://www.nasa.gov/ 47. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 48. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 49. http://www.mtu.edu/