Comet Holmes (17P/Holmes). Optical image of the nucleus and diffuse coma of Comet Holmes. Comets are bodies of ice and dust that enter the inner solar

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Comet Holmes (17P/Holmes). Optical image of the nucleus and diffuse coma of Comet Holmes. Comets are bodies of ice and dust that enter the inner solar system from the outer solar system. As they approach the Sun, the heat boils the ice, producing a coma around the nucleus, and a tail behind it. This periodic comet, discovered in 1892, returns to the solar system roughly every 7 years. It is usually a faint object, but during its return to the solar system in late 2007 it underwent an outburst of activity causing it to brighten from 17th to 3rd magnitude in just a few days, making it visible to the naked eye. This image was obtained in mid-December 2007.

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Size: 5146px × 3423px
Photo credit: © DAMIAN PEACH/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1, 17p/holmes, 2007, 21st, 80mm, apo, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, boiling, century, comet, cometary, d40, december, dslr, dust, gaseous, gassing, holmes, ice, nikon, nucleus, optical, periodic, planetary, science, single, solar, space, system, tail, telescope, visible