﻿ 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 June 4 [2]A dark star filled sky is shown with the wisps extending the length of the image. The wisps are the two tails of Comet 12P. A particularly bright star is visible near the bottom of the frame. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Comet Pons-Brooks Develops Opposing Tails Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Rolando Ligustri & Lukas Demetz Explanation: Why does [4]Comet Pons-Brooks now have tails pointing in opposite directions? The most [5]spectacular tail is the blue-glowing [6]ion tail that is visible flowing down the image. The ion tail is [7]pushed directly out from the Sun by the [8]solar wind. On the upper right is the glowing central coma of [9]Comet 12P/Pons–Brooks. Fanning out from the [10]coma, mostly to the left, is the comet's [11]dust tail. Pushed out and slowed down by the [12]pressure of sunlight, the dust tail tends to trail the comet along its orbit and, from [13]some viewing angles, can appear [14]opposite to the ion tail. The distant, bright star [15]Alpha Leporis is seen at the bottom of the [16]featured image captured last week from [17]Namibia. Two days ago, the comet passed its closest to the [18]Earth and is now best visible from southern skies as it dims and [19]glides back to the outer [20]Solar System. Tomorrow's picture: mystery martian __________________________________________________________________ [21]< | [22]Archive | [23]Submissions | [24]Index | [25]Search | [26]Calendar | [27]RSS | [28]Education | [29]About APOD | [30]Discuss | [31]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [32]Robert Nemiroff ([33]MTU) & [34]Jerry Bonnell ([35]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [36]Specific rights apply. [37]NASA Web Privacy, [38]Accessibility, [39]Notices; A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC, [43]NASA Science Activation & [44]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2406/Comet12P_Ligustri_1601.jpg 3. https://www.instagram.com/rolandoligustri/ 4. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comets/ 5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210308.html 6. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/c/Cometary+Gas+Tail 7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220110.html 8. https://science.nasa.gov/resource/the-solar-wind-across-our-solar-system/ 9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12P/Pons–Brooks 10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coma_(comet) 11. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/C/Cometary+Dust+Tail 12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poynting–Robertson_effect 13. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comets/en/anatomy-of-a-comet.en.jpg 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190624.html 15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Leporis 16. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=8297831726911868&set=a.100321199996336 17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namibia 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220206.html 19. https://youtu.be/L9mrTdYhOHg 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220911.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240603.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 27. https://apod.com/feed.rss 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 30. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240604 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240605.html 32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 35. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 37. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 38. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 39. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 41. https://www.nasa.gov/ 42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 43. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 44. http://www.mtu.edu/