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APOD: The Comet, the Owl, and the Galaxy (2016 Apr 21)
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 4:12 am
by APOD Robot
The Comet, the Owl, and the Galaxy
Explanation: Comet C/2014 S2 (PanSTARRS) poses for a Messier moment in this telescopic snapshot from April 18. In fact it shares the 1.5 degree wide field-of-view with two well-known entries in the 18th century comet-hunting astronomer's
famous catalog. Outward bound and sweeping through northern skies just below the
Big Dipper, the fading visitor to the inner Solar System was about 18
light-minutes from our fair planet. Dusty, edge-on spiral galaxy Messier 108 (upper right) is more like 45 million light-years away. A planetary nebula with an aging but intensely hot central star,
the owlish Messier 97 is only about 12 thousand light-years distant though, still well within our own Milky Way galaxy. Astronomers expect the
orbit of this comet PanSTARRS to return it to the inner Solar System
around the year 4226.
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Re: APOD: The Comet, the Owl, and the Galaxy (2016 Apr 21)
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 8:04 am
by Boomer12k
Outstanding...
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Re: APOD: The Comet, the Owl, and the Galaxy (2016 Apr 21)
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 8:25 am
by starsurfer
It sounds like the title of this APOD could be a poem? There is no greater poetry than the heavens and all its wonders!
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Re: APOD: The Comet, the Owl, and the Galaxy (2016 Apr 21)
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 12:04 pm
by heehaw
Really nice composition!
Re: APOD: The Comet, the Owl, and the Galaxy (2016 Apr 21)
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 1:28 pm
by rstevenson
starsurfer wrote:It sounds like the title of this APOD could be a poem?
The Comet, The Owl, and the Galaxy
The comet, the owl, and the galaxy
tried sailing the Milky Way.
The first two went winging away,
The last is just waiting to play.
They're still gliding away,
He's still waiting today,
'Cause he's 45 big ones away.
Rob
Re: APOD: The Comet, the Owl, and the Galaxy (2016 Apr 21)
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 3:11 pm
by Fred the Cat
Nice Rob but I immediately thought it was the opening line of a joke.
The Comet, The Owl, and the Galaxy were sitting at the bar. The Comet said, "I sure like it when I get close to a sun. It's so warming." The Owl said, "I remember those days when comets came around. I sure miss them." The Galaxy looked at both of them and said, "Well Comet I heard that sun you go around has a planet with a man that was worried his people couldn't tell us apart so he tried to make a list. The Owl laughed and said, "Stop Messin' with us! Why didn't they just look
up?"
Re: APOD: The Comet, the Owl, and the Galaxy (2016 Apr 21)
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 4:26 pm
by hamilton1
Boy, they're really coming out of the woodwork today...
Re: APOD: The Comet, the Owl, and the Galaxy (2016 Apr 21)
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 4:37 pm
by rstevenson
Nice one Fred. Now I suppose someone will have to come in and put a stop to this by saying something scientific. Oh well.
Rob
Re: APOD: The Comet, the Owl, and the Galaxy (2016 Apr 21)
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 1:25 pm
by starsurfer
rstevenson wrote:Nice one Fred. Now I suppose someone will have to come in and put a stop to this by saying something scientific. Oh well.
Rob
I wonder if comets contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons?
![owl :owl:](./images/smilies/owl_24.png)
Re: APOD: The Comet, the Owl, and the Galaxy (2016 Apr 21)
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 2:00 pm
by BMAONE23
I don't know but they sure are cute little fellers