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…
