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.
April 28, 1996
The Sun Sets on Comet Hyakutake
Credit:
Casper ter Kuile and Robert Haas, Biddinghuizen, the Netherlands, Courtesy
JPL
Explanation: Comet Hyakutake is seen here just as the Sun sets on April 22. As April draws to a close, Comet Hyakutake will be visible only just after sunset and will be hard to discern against the brightly lit sky. Unfortunately, Comet Hyakutake did not brighten as much as hoped during its journey to the inner Solar System, and is now not supposed to get as bright as it did when it passed the Earth in late March. Nevertheless, Comet Hyakutake is still a bright comet and spectacular sight.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(GMU) &
Jerry
Bonnell (USRA).
NASA Technical Rep.:
Sherri
Calvo.
Specific rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA
at
NASA/
GSFC