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 |
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     __________________________________________________________________

    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/