This gorgeous galaxy and comet portrait [
http://science.nasa…gallery_iz.html ] was recorded on April 5th, 2002, in the skies over the Oriental Pyrenees near Figueres, Spain [
http://www.odci.gov…sp.html ]. From a site above 1,100 meters, astrophotographer [
http://www.skylook.…] Juan Carlos Casado used a guided time exposure, fast film, and a telephoto lens to capture the predicted conjunction of the bright Comet Ikeya-Zhang [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] (right) and the Andromeda Galaxy [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] (left). This stunning celestial scene would also have been a rewarding one for the influential 18th century comet hunter Charles Messier [
http://www.seds.org…biograph.html ]. While Messier scanned French skies for comets, he carefully cataloged positions of things which were fuzzy and comet-like in appearance but did not move against the background stars and so were definitely not comets. The Andromeda Galaxy [
http://nedwww.ipac.…frames.html ], also known as M31, is the 31st object in his famous not-a-comet catalog [
http://seds.lpl.ari…m-cat.html ]. Not-a-comet object number 110 [
http://www.seds.org…m110.html ], a late addition to Messier's catalog, is one of Andromeda's small satellite galaxies, and can be seen here just below M31. Our modern [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…debate20.html ] understanding [
http://www.astr.ua.…galaxies.text ] holds that the Andromeda galaxy is a large spiral galaxy some 2 million light-years distant [
http://www.anzwers.…]. The photogenic Comet Ikeya-Zhang [
http://www.stardate…], then a lovely sight in early morning skies was about 80 million kilometers (4 light-minutes) from planet Earth.
Explanation
This gorgeous galaxy and comet portrait [
http://science.nasa…gallery_iz.html ] was recorded on April 5th, 2002, in the skies over the Oriental Pyrenees near Figueres, Spain [
http://www.odci.gov…sp.html ]. From a site above 1,100 meters, astrophotographer [
http://www.skylook.…] Juan Carlos Casado used a guided time exposure, fast film, and a telephoto lens to capture the predicted conjunction of the bright Comet Ikeya-Zhang [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] (right) and the Andromeda Galaxy [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] (left). This stunning celestial scene would also have been a rewarding one for the influential 18th century comet hunter Charles Messier [
http://www.seds.org…biograph.html ]. While Messier scanned French skies for comets, he carefully cataloged positions of things which were fuzzy and comet-like in appearance but did not move against the background stars and so were definitely not comets. The Andromeda Galaxy [
http://nedwww.ipac.…frames.html ], also known as M31, is the 31st object in his famous not-a-comet catalog [
http://seds.lpl.ari…m-cat.html ]. Not-a-comet object number 110 [
http://www.seds.org…m110.html ], a late addition to Messier's catalog, is one of Andromeda's small satellite galaxies, and can be seen here just below M31. Our modern [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…debate20.html ] understanding [
http://www.astr.ua.…galaxies.text ] holds that the Andromeda galaxy is a large spiral galaxy some 2 million light-years distant [
http://www.anzwers.…]. The photogenic Comet Ikeya-Zhang [
http://www.stardate…], then a lovely sight in early morning skies was about 80 million kilometers (4 light-minutes) from planet Earth.
Explanation
