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Collection:
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NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Riding a Trail of Debris
Title
Riding a Trail of Debris
Title
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Description:
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This image taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the comet Encke riding along its pebbly trail of debris (long diagonal line) between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. This material actually encircles the solar system, following the path of Encke's orbit. Twin jets of material can also be seen shooting away from the comet in the short, fan-shaped emission, spreading horizontally from the comet.
Encke, which orbits the Sun every 3.3 years, is well traveled. Having exhausted its supply of fine particles, it now leaves a long trail of larger more gravel-like debris, about one millimeter in size or greater. Every October, Earth passes through Encke's wake, resulting in the well-known Taurid meteor shower.
This image was captured by Spitzer's multiband imaging photometer when Encke was 2.6 times farther away than Earth is from the Sun. It is the best yet mid-infrared view of the comet at this great distance. The data are helping astronomers understand how rotating comets eject particles as they circle the Sun.
Description
This image taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the comet Encke riding along its pebbly trail of debris (long diagonal line) between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. This material actually encircles the solar system, following the path of Encke's orbit. Twin jets of material can also be seen shooting away from the comet in the short, fan-shaped emission, spreading horizontally from the comet.
Encke, which orbits the Sun every 3.3 years, is well traveled. Having exhausted its supply of fine particles, it now leaves a long trail of larger more gravel-like debris, about one millimeter in size or greater. Every October, Earth passes through Encke's wake, resulting in the well-known Taurid meteor shower.
This image was captured by Spitzer's multiband imaging photometer when Encke was 2.6 times farther away than Earth is from the Sun. It is the best yet mid-infrared view of the comet at this great distance. The data are helping astronomers understand how rotating comets eject particles as they circle the Sun.
Description
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Release Date:
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2005/01/11
Release_Date
2005/01/11
Release Date
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Press Release:
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Press_Release
Press Release
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Release Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/M. Kelley (Univ. of Minnesota)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/M. Kelley (Univ. of Minnesota)
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/M. Kelley (Univ. of Minnesota)
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/M. Kelley (Univ. of Minnesota)
Image Credit
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Object name:
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Comet Encke
Object_name
Comet Encke
Object name
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Object type:
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Comet (Jupiter-family)
Object_type
Comet (Jupiter-family)
Object type
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Position (J2000):
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*RA: *22h39m19.00s *Dec: *-13d40m24.40s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *22h39m19.00s *Dec: *-13d40m24.40s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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2.0 AU from Spitzer (at time of observation)
Distance
2.0 AU from Spitzer (at time of observation)
Distance
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Observers:
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Robert Gehrz, Principal Investigator (Univ. of Minnesota)
Charles Woodward (Univ. of Minnesota)
Michael Kelley (Univ. of Minnesota)
Elisha Polomski (Univ. of Minnesota)
William Reach (Spitzer Science Center, Caltech)
Observers
Robert Gehrz, Principal Investigator (Univ. of Minnesota)
Charles Woodward (Univ. of Minnesota)
Michael Kelley (Univ. of Minnesota)
Elisha Polomski (Univ. of Minnesota)
William Reach (Spitzer Science Center, Caltech)
Observers
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Instrument:
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MIPS
Instrument
MIPS
Instrument
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Exposure Date:
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2004-06-23
Exposure_Date
2004-06-23
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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130 seconds
Exposure_Time
130 seconds
Exposure Time
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Related links:
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Related_links
Related links
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facet_what:
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Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Jupiter
facet_what
Jupiter
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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facet_what:
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COMETS
facet_what
COMETS
facet_what
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facet_what:
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MIPS
facet_what
MIPS
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars
facet_what
Mars
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Rosetta
facet_what
Rosetta
facet_what
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|
facet_where:
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Jupiter
facet_where
Jupiter
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Minnesota
facet_where
Minnesota
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Mars
facet_where
Mars
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Washington, D.C.
facet_where
Washington, D.C.
facet_where
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Image #:
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ssc2005-04a
Image_#
ssc2005-04a
Image #
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original url:
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original_url
original url
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UID:
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SPD-SPITZ-ssc2005-04 a
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2005-04 a
UID
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