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.

                               2025 January 24
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                   Comet G3 ATLAS: a Tail and a Telescope
      Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Yuri Beletsky ([5]Carnegie [6]Las
                       Campanas Observatory, [7]TWAN)

   Explanation: [8]Comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS has made a dramatic appearance in
   planet Earth's skies. A visitor from the [9]distant Oort Cloud, the
   comet reached its perihelion on January 13. On January 19, the bright
   comet [10]was captured here from ESO Paranal Observatory in the Atacama
   desert in Chile. Sporting [11]spectacular sweeping dust tails, this
   comet ATLAS is setting in the southern hemisphere twilight and was
   clearly visible to the unaided eye. In the foreground is the closed
   shell of one of the observatory's [12]famous auxiliary telescopes.
   Still wowing southern hemisphere observers, the comet's bright coma
   [13]has become diffuse, its icy nucleus apparently disintegrating
   following its [14]close approach to the Sun.

                    Growing Gallery: [15]Comet ATLAS (G3)
                        Tomorrow's picture: stardust
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    Authors & editors: [27]Robert Nemiroff ([28]MTU) & [29]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([30]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [31]Specific rights apply.
              [32]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [33]ASD at [34]NASA / [35]GSFC,
                         [36]NASA Science Activation
                           & [37]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2501/C2024G3_ATLAS_ESO_Beletsky.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.instagram.com/yuribeletsky/
   5. http://carnegiescience.edu/
   6. http://www.lco.cl/
   7. https://twanight.org/about/
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2024_G3_(ATLAS)
   9. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/oort-cloud/
  10. https://www.instagram.com/yuribeletsky/p/DFF3LKtpIz4/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241006.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240504.html
  13. https://skyandtelescope.org/uncategorized/comet-atlas-caught-in-the-act-of-disintegration/
  14. https://earthsky.org/tonight/brightest-comet-of-2025-atlas-g3-southern-hemisphere/
  15. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.600449002683681&type=3
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250123.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  20. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  25. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250124
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250125.html
  27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  30. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  33. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  36. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  37. http://www.mtu.edu/