A coronograph image from the SOHO spacecraft shows Comet Lovejoy (C/2011 W3) surviving its close encounter with the Sun on December 16, 2011. The comet's bright head (coma) is saturated in the camera's pixels, appearing as horizontal streaks, while its tail stretches away. The Sun is obscured by an occulting disk, represented by a white circle. The image highlights the remarkable resilience of this sungrazing comet, a member of the Kreutz family.
Astronomy Picture from 17/12/2011
Comet Lovejoy: Sungrazing Survivor
Source: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap111217.html
#CometLovejoy #SungrazerComet #SOHO #SpaceWeather #Astronomy #Sun #Comet #NASA #SolarSystem #Science
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