A series of comet images is shown. On the far left the image shows Comet G3 ATLAS with a bright central concentration at its head near the bottom of the frame. By the far right, this central concentration is nearly gone. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
显示的是一系列彗星图像。最左边的图像显示阿特拉斯彗星在靠近画面底部的彗核有一个明亮的中心聚集点。到了最右边，中央亮点几乎消失。 有关更多详细信息，请参阅说明。
A dark sloping hill is seen at the bottom with a bright comet with many tails visible above it, taking up most of the frame. The tails closest to the slope are the most dim. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
底部是一座黑色的斜坡山，山上有一颗明亮的彗星，上面有许多彗尾，占据了大部分画面。最靠近斜坡的彗尾最暗。有关更多详细信息，请参阅说明。
A black and white image shows, from the side, the wall of a high jagged cliff. At the bottom of the cliff is a smooth landing dotted with rocks. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
一幅黑白照片从侧面展示了高耸的峭壁。悬崖底部是一个光滑的着陆点，上面散布着岩石。有关更多详细信息，请参阅说明。
2023年9月9日 Comet Nishimura Grows Credit & Copyright: Peter Kennett Explanation: Comet Nishimura is growing. More precisely, the tails C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) are growing as it nears the Sun. Discovered only last month, the comet is already near naked eye brightness as it now moves inside the Earth’s orbit. The comet will be nearest the Earth next week, but nearest the Sun the week after — on September 17. Speculation holds that expelled ice and dust from Comet Nishimura‘s last visit to the inner Solar System may have created the Sigma Hydrids meteor shower which peaks yearly in December. If so, then this meteor shower may become more active, refreshed with new comet debris. Pictured, Comet Nishimura was captured from Edgewood, New Mexico, USA four nights…
2023年9月3日 Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 Fragments Credit: NASA, ESA, H. Weaver (JHU / APL), M. Mutchler and Z. Levay (STScI) Explanation: Periodic comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 has broken up at least twice. A cosmic souffle of ice and dust left over from the early solar system, this comet was first seen to split into several large pieces during the close-in part of its orbit in 1995. However, in the 2006 passage, it disintegrated into dozens of fragments that stretched several degrees across the sky. Since comets are relatively fragile, stresses from heat, gravity and outgassing, for example, could be responsible for their tendency to break up in such a spectacular fashion when they near the hot Sun. The Hubble Space Telescope recorded, in 2006, the featured sharp…
