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 12
   [2]The bright blue Comet R3 PanSTARRS streaks across the right side of
    the image with the red cloud of the Orion Nebula in the background on
                                  the left.

         The Conjunction of Comet R3 PanSTARRS and the Orion Nebula
       Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Julien De Winter, [4]Sascha Ebeler
   Text: [5]Keighley Rockcliffe ([6]NASA [7]GSFC, [8]UMBC CSST, [9]CRESST
                                     II)

   Explanation: [10]Today’s composite image features [11]something old,
   something new, something borrowed, and something blue! [12]Comet R3
   PanSTARRS, streaking across the right of the image, likely originated
   from [13]the Oort Cloud, meaning it is an old Solar System relic from
   billions of years ago. It’s bright extended [14]ion tail glows blue as
   the gas escaping the comet’s core is ionized by sunlight. Astronomers
   are fascinated by [15]comets for all sorts of reasons: comet
   compositions are untouched time capsules containing the building blocks
   of Solar System planets; comets may have [16]delivered water to the
   young Earth; the behavior of cometary tails shed light on solar wind
   and radiation interactions. The background mosaic, featuring [17]the
   Orion Nebula ([18]M42), was taken over two nights of observation with
   the comet captured on the third night. [19]The Orion Nebula is our
   nearest stellar nursery and, at [20]about 2 million years old, is our
   something (relatively) new! Now at around [21]127.5 million kilometers
   from Earth, we wave goodbye to the borrowed Comet R3 PanSTARRS as it
   leaves the Solar System.

                    Growing Gallery: [22]Comet R3 in 2026
                   Tomorrow's picture: a cluster of stars
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([37]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [38]Specific rights apply.
            [39]NASA Web Privacy, [40]Accessibility, [41]Notices;
                A service of: [42]ASD at [43]NASA / [44]GSFC,
                         [45]NASA Science Activation
                           & [46]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2605/CometR3_Orion.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/dwj85
   4. https://www.instagram.com/sascha.ebeler
   5. https://kerockcliffe.com/
   6. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sci/bio/keighley.e.rockcliffe
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/goddard/
   8. https://csst.umbc.edu/directory/
   9. https://cresst2.umd.edu/
  10. https://www.instagram.com/p/DYL5zg5Ak78/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Something_old
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260412.html
  13. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/oort-cloud/facts/
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260414.html
  15. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/facts/
  16. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/comet-provides-new-clues-to-origins-of-earths-oceans/
  17. https://www.mos.org/article/getting-know-orion-great-nebula
  18. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/messier-42/
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241104.html
  20. https://www.space.com/orion-nebula
  21. https://theskylive.com/c2025r3-info
  22. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.946613941400517&type=3
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260511.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  29. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  32. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260512
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260513.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  42. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  45. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  46. http://www.mtu.edu/