Comets are cosmic icebergs [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. They follow very elongated orbits which carry them from [ http://whyfiles.new…] the frozen, remote outer reaches of the Solar System to close encounters with the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Heated by sunlight, they slough off layers of material [ http://whyfiles.new…] as gas and dust, forming their characteristic awe-inspiring [ http://whyfiles.new…] comas (heads) and tails. In the spring of 1996, Comet Hyakutake [ http://whyfiles.new…] inspired Arizona photographers Rick Scott [ http://members.home…] and Joe Orman to take this picture showing faint stars near the constellation Ursa Minor [ http://www.astro.wi…constellations/Ursa_ Minor.html ] (the Little Dipper) shining through the comet's long, graceful tail. Blown by the solar wind, comet tails [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] generally point [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] away from the Sun.
Explanation
Comets are cosmic icebergs [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. They follow very elongated orbits which carry them from [ http://whyfiles.new…] the frozen, remote outer reaches of the Solar System to close encounters with the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Heated by sunlight, they slough off layers of material [ http://whyfiles.new…] as gas and dust, forming their characteristic awe-inspiring [ http://whyfiles.new…] comas (heads) and tails. In the spring of 1996, Comet Hyakutake [ http://whyfiles.new…] inspired Arizona photographers Rick Scott [ http://members.home…] and Joe Orman to take this picture showing faint stars near the constellation Ursa Minor [ http://www.astro.wi…constellations/Ursa_ Minor.html ] (the Little Dipper) shining through the comet's long, graceful tail. Blown by the solar wind, comet tails [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] generally point [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] away from the Sun.
Explanation
Credit and Copyright:
R. Scott [ mailto:rmscott@home. com ] and J. Orman
Credit_and_Copyright
R. Scott [ mailto:rmscott@home. com ] and J. Orman
