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/