NASA sun observatory spies Comet Atlas in the solar wind. (Mercury, too!)
By Meghan Bartels 3 hours ago
STEREO-A's view of the inner solar system between May 25 and June 1, 2020. Comet ATLAS streaks down across the screen as the planet Mercury enters at the left of the frame; meanwhile, the solar wind blows out from the sun on the left.
(Image: © NASA/NRL/STEREO/Karl Battams)
You'll need a minute to take it all in, there's a lot going on in this stunning view of the inner solar system, including a comet, Mercury and some solar weather.
First, let's get oriented. You're looking through the eyes of NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory A, or STEREO-A. The spacecraft launched in 2006 with its now-silent twin to study the sun, in particular from angles we can't see from Earth. The spacecraft is about one-sixth of an orbit ahead (hence the A in its name) of Earth, with the sun off-screen to the left in the new images.
There's a lot of ambiance in the neighborhood. The pale haze gusting in from the left of the image is the solar wind, the charged particles that constantly stream out of the sun and across the solar system, creating the bubble Earth and its neighbors move through. And of course there are countless stars, some that appear to be standing on bright stalks (the streaks are just flukes in the image). Near the end of the loop, Mercury crosses into view from the left side of the image, moving across the background of stars, according to a NASA statement.
And STEREO-A's location was a perfect vantage point to catch sight of a comet that threw skywatchers into a frenzy this year, dubbed Comet ATLAS. Astronomers first spotted the object at the end of December, and soon identified it as a comet new to Earth's neighborhood. Skywatchers had high hopes Comet ATLAS would grow incredibly bright and put on a good show as it approached the sun.
More:
https://www.space.com/stereo-probe-sees-comet-atlas-mercury-and-solar-wind.html
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