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 August 24
    [2]A starfield appears with a bright comet near the center. The comet
    has a bright green head and a short white tail. Around the frame is a
     complex array of faint gray nebulas. Please see the explanation for
                         more detailed information.

                           Comet 220P in Outburst
             Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Spilios Asimakopoulos

   Explanation: Comet 220P is unexpectedly bright. Normally, periodic
   [4]Comet 220P/McNaught is so dim that to see it requires a telescope.
   Two surprising outbursts this year, however, have made it about 20,000
   times brighter than usual, so that it is now visible with binoculars
   and long-duration [5]camera exposures. As expected, Comet 220P
   continues to orbit the [6]Sun between [7]Mars and [8]Jupiter with a
   period of over 5 years. The [9]featured long duration exposure, taken
   10 days ago from [10]South Africa, shows the [11]comet's bright
   [12]green head and short [13]dust tail. Reasons for [14]Comet 220P's
   impressive outbursts are unknown but could be caused by the [15]release
   of built-up subsurface gas or [16]comet quakes. Comet 220P will pass
   about [17]one Earth-Sun distance from the [18]Earth in October, after
   which it is expected to [19]fade quickly as it begins its return to the
   far part of its orbit.

       APOD's main NASA site is [20]moving : From [21]apod.nasa.gov to
                          [22]science.nasa.gov/apod
                        Tomorrow's picture: Moon dark
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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/2608/Comet220P_SA_4104.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/stars_over_bucks/
   4. https://www.spacereference.org/comet/220p-mcnaught
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250929.html
   6. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250706.html
   8. https://science.nasa.gov/jupiter/
   9. https://www.instagram.com/p/DcJInPhRJvP/
  10. https://user.iiasa.ac.at/~marek/fbook/04/geos/sf.html
  11. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/
  12. https://www.science.org/content/article/why-do-some-comets-glow-green
  13. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/c/Cometary+Dust+Tail
  14. https://www.universetoday.com/articles/catch-comet-220p-mcnaught-in-outburst
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151118.html
  16. https://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/2017/03/22/comet-67p/
  17. https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/glossary/au.html
  18. https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/earth/#/
  19. https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1561948955-570b270e7c36
  20. https://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?t=45023
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/
  22. https://science.nasa.gov/apod
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260823.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=260824
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260825.html
  34. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/
  35. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/
  36. https://inspirehep.net/authors/1073087
  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://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/astrophysics/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  45. https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/
  46. http://www.mtu.edu/