哈雷彗星与史汪彗星

2020 May 14

Comet Halley vs Comet SWAN
Image Credit & Copyright: Luc Perrot (TWAN)

Explanation: The pre-dawn hours of May 3rd were moonless as grains of cosmic dust streaked through southern skies above Reunion Island. Swept up as planet Earth plowed through dusty debris streams left behind periodic Comet 1/P Halley, the annual meteor shower is known as the Eta Aquarids. This inspired exposure captures a bright aquarid meteor flashing left to right over a sea of clouds. The meteor streak points back to the shower’s radiant in the constellation Aquarius, well above the eastern horizon and off the top of the frame. Known for speed Eta Aquarid meteors move fast, entering the atmosphere at about 66 kilometers per second, visible at altitudes of 100 kilometers or so. Then about 6 light-minutes from Earth, the pale greenish coma and long tail of Comet C/2020 F8 SWAN were not to be left out of the celestial scene, posing above the volcanic peaks left of center. Now in the northern sky’s morning twilight near the eastern horizon Comet SWAN has not become as bright as anticipated though. This first time comet made its closest approach to planet Earth only two days ago and reaches perihelion on May 27.

Tomorrow’s picture: pixels in space

哈雷彗星与史汪彗星
影像提供与版权: Luc Perrot ( TWAN )

说明: 在无月光干扰的5月3日清晨，一颗来自宇宙的尘埃掠过留尼旺岛上方的南天。它是地球穿过哈雷彗星留下的碎片流时，所形成的宝瓶座流星雨的流星之一。这幅具有启发性的影像，记录了一颗明亮的宝瓶座流星，在云海的上方从左向右飞掠。它的流星迹，可回溯到这幅影像上缘之外，高悬在东方地平线上空的宝瓶座内之流星雨辐射点。以高速著称的宝瓶座流星，穿入大气的速率大约是每秒66公里，发光的高度在地表上方约100公里之处。在这幅夜景里，火山峰顶的中左方，还可以见到离地球约6光分，顶着淡绿彗发曳着长尾的史汪彗星。目前出现在北天曙光时分的东方地平线附近之史汪彗星，亮度不如预期。这颗首度来访的彗星，在2天前刚通过最靠近地球的位置，接着会在5月27日运行到近日点。

明日的图片: pixels in space