False-color image from SOHO's SWAN instrument showing the shadow of Comet Hale-Bopp cast against the sun's ultraviolet light scattered by interstellar hydrogen. The dark streak represents a 150 million kilometer-long shadow created by the dense hydrogen envelope around the comet's nucleus, indicating a water production rate of approximately 300 tons per second. The bright spot is ultraviolet sunlight scattered by the hydrogen cloud surrounding Hale-Bopp.

Astronomy Picture from 02/07/1999

Shadow Of A Comet

Source: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap990702.html


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