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. 2026 July 17 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. The Dust Trail of Comet Tempel 2 Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Dan Bartlett Explanation: [5]Comet 10P/Tempel 2 orbits the Sun once every 5.4 years. Currently visible in binoculars or small telescopes toward the constellation Capricornus, the [6]periodic comet is captured in this sharp telescopic [7]image from July 11 sporting a bright nuclear region and pretty greenish coma. Remarkably, a thin dust trail, not a typical dust tail, is also seen extending both east and west of the Tempel 2 nucleus. Unlike a [8]comet dust tail, which tends to temporarily fan out in a direction away from the Sun, this dust trail [9]is due to the residual dust shed during [10]many past orbits along this ancient periodic comet's orbital plane. In fact, Tempel 2's dust trail may get a little narrower and brighter from our perspective as Earth crosses through the comet's orbital plane on July 20. [11]Comet 10P/Tempel 2 will reach a perihelion on August 2, and make its closest approach to Earth on August 3. Tomorrow's picture: the antisolar horizon __________________________________________________________________ [12]< | [13]Archive | [14]Submissions | [15]Index | [16]Search | [17]Calendar | [18]RSS | [19]Education | [20]About APOD | [21]Discuss | [22]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [23]Robert Nemiroff ([24]MTU) & Jerry Bonnell ([25]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [26]Specific rights apply. [27]NASA Web Privacy, [28]Accessibility, [29]Notices; A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC, [33]NASA Science Activation & [34]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2607/10P_Tempel2_20260711_DEBartlett2048.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://www.astrobin.com/users/h2ologg/ 5. https://theskylive.com/10p-info 6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_periodic_comets 7. https://app.astrobin.com/i/1ewym6?r=0 8. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/facts/ 9. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024RSPTA.38230200K/abstract 10. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012AJ....144..153K/abstract 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10P/Tempel 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260716.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 16. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 18. https://apod.com/feed.rss 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 21. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260717 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260718.html 23. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/ 24. https://www.mtu.edu/physics 25. https://www.astro.umd.edu/ 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 27. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 28. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 29. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 31. https://www.nasa.gov/ 32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 33. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 34. http://www.mtu.edu/