Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2026 May 10
   [2]A starfield appears featuring a comet with a long tail that extends
    from the lower right to the upper left. To the left of the comet is a
    bright star, and above the comet and to the right is a red and white
      nebula. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                        Comet R3 PanSTARRS and Orion
              Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Luc Perrot ([4]TWAN)

   Explanation: Orion never had a sword like this. As Comet [5]C/2025 R3
   (PanSTARRS) heads out of the inner Solar System, it is putting on quite
   a [6]show for long exposure cameras. Currently [7]seen toward the
   [8]constellation of [9]Orion the Hunter, the distant [10]Orion Nebula
   is visible on the upper right. [11]Comet R3 PanSTARRS is now showing
   [12]two distinct tails: a short [13]dust tail pointing toward the top
   of the image and a long and [14]wavy ion tail trailing off toward the
   upper left. The [15]ion tail points away from the [16]Sun and [17]glows
   blue from excited [18]carbon monoxide. Large particles in the dust tail
   somewhat [19]resist the radiation pressure that push them away from the
   Sun and so retain a bit of the comet's orbit. The [20]dust tail shines
   by [21]reflected sunlight. The [22]featured image was taken a few days
   ago from [23]France's [24]Reunion Island in the southern [25]Indian
   Ocean.

               Growing Gallery: [26]Comet R3 PanSTARRS in 2026
                     Tomorrow's picture: Canary moonset
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [38]Robert Nemiroff ([39]MTU) & [40]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([41]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [42]Specific rights apply.
            [43]NASA Web Privacy, [44]Accessibility, [45]Notices;
                A service of: [46]ASD at [47]NASA / [48]GSFC,
                         [49]NASA Science Activation
                           & [50]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2605/CometOrion_Perrot_960.jpg
   3. https://www.lucperrot.fr/bio
   4. https://twanight.org/profile/luc-perrot/
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2025_R3_(PanSTARRS)
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260420.html
   7. https://starwalk.space/en/news/comet-c2025-r3-panstarrs
   8. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/constellations/en/
   9. https://greeklegendsandmyths.com/orion.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250420.html
  11. https://theskylive.com/c2025r3-info
  12. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comets/en/anatomy-of-a-comet.en.jpg
  13. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/*/Cometary+Dust+Tail
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220110.html
  15. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/c/Cometary+Gas+Tail
  16. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/
  17. http://www2.ess.ucla.edu/~jewitt/tail.html
  18. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/global-maps/carbon-monoxide/
  19. https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS1DfzgrmAlBOsFVYpD2zBqj6FDI5z77THEpQ&s
  20. https://van.physics.illinois.edu/ask/listing/31796
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221227.html
  22. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1492086498960108&set=a.216372196531551
  23. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France
  24. https://youtu.be/MUEVBSiWWR8
  25. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Ocean
  26. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.946613941400517
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260509.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  33. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  36. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260510
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260511.html
  38. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  39. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  40. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  41. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  42. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  46. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  47. https://www.nasa.gov/
  48. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  49. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  50. http://www.mtu.edu/