NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

A 'Neat' Comet

Inbound from the distant solar system, comet C/2001 Q4 will soon pass just inside planet Earth's orbit and should be one of two bright, naked-eye comets visible in southern skies in May. First picked up nearly three years ago by the Near Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) project, Q4 appears in a stunning telescopic view recorded on April 18 from a site near Alcohuaz, Chile. Q4's closest approach to the Sun will be on May 15, while its closest encounter with planet Earth will be on May 7.

From: Astronomy Picture of the Day
Credit & Copyright: Loke Kun Tan (StarryScapes)

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