|
|
Disclaimer: This material is being kept online for historical purposes. Though accurate at the time of publication, it is no longer being updated. The page may contain broken links or outdated information, and parts may not function in current web browsers. Visit chandra.si.edu for more information.
From Earth to the Universe: Picture of the day
  
|
|
COMET C/2001 Q4 (NEAT)
Comets come from the cold outer reaches of the solar system. Like 'dirty snowballs', they are made of ice, dust and organic compounds. When they venture close to the Sun, this evaporates and forms a long, graceful tail. This comet was discovered by the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) programme in 2001 and made its closest approach to Earth in May 2004, when this image was captured by the WIYN telescope in Arizona.
Credit: Image made in visible light by T. Rector ( U. Alaska Anchorage), Z. Levay and L. Frattare (STScI) for NOAO / AURA / NSF.
|
In 2009, the "From Earth to the Universe" project brought astronomy to millions of people around the world. Take a tour of just some of the locations in a short video on the FETTU Highlights page.
|
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER