Starship Asterisk*

Waterfalls, Auroras, Comet: Iceland

Explanation: If not distracted by the picturesque landscape, waterfalls, stars, and auroras, you might be able to find Comet PANSTARRS. The above image, capturing multiple terrestrial and celestial wonders in a single shot, was taken last week in southwest Iceland. The popular Gullfoss waterfalls are pictured under brilliant auroras that followed a M1-class solar flare and powerful Coronal Mass Ejection two days earlier. Give up on locating the comet? Comet PANSTARRS is faintly visible as a light blip just above the horizon toward the left of the above image. The comet remains more directly visible to northern observers with binoculars looking toward the western sky just after sunset.

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Cor....WICKED!!!!!

Nice looking aurora.
Someone has darn good eyesight to see the comet...I can't see it...

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Ooh neither can I, is it the case of the incredible disappearing comet? (Of course it is!)

The comet is not a "light blip just above the horizon toward the left of the above image." It is a thoroughly faint blip right on the horizon, 25% from the left edge of the image. The only way I saw it was to click on the image, downloading the high res version, and then magnify that image.

But all this grousing does not take away from this image, which is extraordinary and beautiful. ¡Bravo!

We think we saw it, the comet's tail is a slightly different angle than the streaks of aurora.
Thank you Stephane Vetter - wonderful photo.

I found it! It's playing hide and seek. Could barely make it out in the high resolution image, didn't need to zoom though.

Beautiful APOD! Can't wait to go to Iceland some day... thank you for this!

Lovely image! I'm going to Iceland next month in hopes of seeing the northern lights. Hoping for plenty of space weather!

OH!!!! I SEE IT!!!!! Wow....just barely!!!

Thanks.


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I wonder if the person in the image is Stephane using a remote control to get into the scene? In the caption to the image in Stephane's website it does however state "notre séjour de mars" which translates to "our stay in March", so there was at least someone else there. Taking an image of that superb view and getting yourself in as well would be fascinating.