                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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.

                                2026 April 20
   A starry sky is seen above two tree-covered mountains that slope up on
    both sides of the image. In the central valley the head of a comet is
   seen, with a long tail flowing nearly vertically upward toward the top
       of the tall frame. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                 Comet R3 PanSTARRS over a Himalayan Valley
         Image Credit & Copyright: Basudeb Chakrabarti & Samit Saha

   Explanation: The best way to see comet R3 PanSTARRS’s long tail is with
   a camera. This week, the recently brightened comet appears in northern
   skies to the east just before dawn, but is only barely visible to the
   unaided eye. The many-degree ion tail captured on long duration camera
   exposures is not unusual for a comet - it is primarily due to the
   Earth's nearly sideways view of the tail as it points away from the
   Sun. In the featured image taken last week, Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS)
   showed off its flowing tail through a valley between two peaks in the
   Himalayan mountains of India.   The comet passed its closest to the Sun
   yesterday. As it nears its closest approach to Earth next week, a bushy
   dust tail may become visible. The comet is slowly moving out of
   northern skies and by the end of the month will be visible after sunset
   in southern skies as it fades and leaves our Solar System.

                 Growing Gallery: Comet R3 PanSTARRS in 2026
                   Tomorrow's picture: different mountains
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
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