File:Comet 73P Schwassmann-Wachmann 3.jpg

Original file ‎(3,000 × 2,400 pixels, file size: 3.11 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

Captions

English

Add a one-line explanation of what this file represents

Summary edit

DescriptionComet 73P Schwassmann-Wachmann 3.jpg	English: This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the broken Comet 73P/Schwassman-Wachmann 3 skimming along a trail of debris left during its multiple trips around the sun. The flame-like objects are the comet's fragments and their tails, while the dusty comet trail is the line bridging the fragments. Comet 73P /Schwassman-Wachmann 3 began to splinter apart in 1995 during one of its voyages around the sweltering sun. Since then, the comet has continued to disintegrate into dozens of fragments, at least 36 of which can be seen here. Astronomers believe the icy comet cracked due to thermal stress from the sun. The Spitzer image provides the best look yet at the trail of debris left in the comet's wake after its 1995 breakup. The observatory's infrared eyes were able to see the dusty comet bits and pieces, which are warmed by sunlight and glow at infrared wavelengths. This comet debris ranges in size from pebbles to large boulders. When Earth passes near this rocky trail every year, the comet rubble burns up in our atmosphere, lighting up the sky in meteor showers. In 2022, Earth is expected to cross close to the comet's trail, producing a noticeable meteor shower. Astronomers are studying the Spitzer image for clues to the comet's composition and how it fell apart. Like NASA's Deep Impact experiment, in which a probe smashed into comet Tempel 1, the cracked Comet 73P/Schwassman-Wachmann 3 provides a perfect laboratory for studying the pristine interior of a comet. This image was taken from May 4 to May 6 by Spitzer's Multiband Imaging Photometer, using its 24-micron wavelength channel.
Date	10 May 2006
Source	http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1628-ssc2006-13a-A-Million-Comet-Pieces
Author	NASA/JPL-Caltech/W. Reach (SSC/Caltech)

Image use policy: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy

Licensing edit

	This file is in the public domain in the United States because it was solely created by NASA. NASA copyright policy states that "NASA material is not protected by copyright unless noted". (See Template:PD-USGov, NASA copyright policy page or JPL Image Use Policy.)
	Warnings: Use of NASA logos, insignia and emblems is restricted per U.S. law 14 CFR 1221. The NASA website hosts a large number of images from the Soviet/Russian space agency, and other non-American space agencies. These are not necessarily in the public domain. Materials based on Hubble Space Telescope data may be copyrighted if they are not explicitly produced by the STScI.[1] See also {{PD-Hubble}} and {{Cc-Hubble}}. The SOHO (ESA & NASA) joint project implies that all materials created by its probe are copyrighted and require permission for commercial non-educational use. [2] Images featured on the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) web site may be copyrighted. [3] The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) site has been known to host copyrighted content. Its photo gallery FAQ states that all of the images in the photo gallery are in the public domain "Unless otherwise noted."

File history

Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time.

	Date/Time	Thumbnail	Dimensions	User	Comment
current	16:16, 20 June 2011		3,000 × 2,400 (3.11 MB)	Spitzersteph (talk \| contribs)

You cannot overwrite this file.

File usage on Commons

The following page uses this file:

File:Ssc2006-13a.jpg (file redirect)

File usage on other wikis

The following other wikis use this file:

Usage on de.wikipedia.org
- Kometenfurcht
Usage on hu.wikipedia.org
- Meteorraj
Usage on it.wikipedia.org
- Cometa
- 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann
Usage on pt.wikipedia.org
- Chuva de meteoros

Metadata

This file contains additional information such as Exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it. If the file has been modified from its original state, some details such as the timestamp may not fully reflect those of the original file. The timestamp is only as accurate as the clock in the camera, and it may be completely wrong.

Image title	This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the broken Comet 73P/Schwassman-Wachmann 3 skimming along a trail of debris left during its multiple trips around the sun. The flame-like objects are the comet's fragments and their tails, while the dusty comet trail is the line bridging the fragments. Comet 73P /Schwassman-Wachmann 3 began to splinter apart in 1995 during one of its voyages around the sweltering sun. Since then, the comet has continued to disintegrate into dozens of fragments, at least 36 of which can be seen here. Astronomers believe the icy comet cracked due the thermal stress from the sun. The Spitzer image provides the best look yet at the trail of debris left in the comet's wake after its 1995 breakup. The observatory's infrared eyes were able to see the dusty comet bits and pieces, which are warmed by sunlight and glow at infrared wavelengths. This comet debris ranges in size from pebbles to large boulders. When Earth passes near this rocky trail every year, the comet rubble burns up in our atmosphere, lighting up the sky in meteor showers. In 2022, Earth is expected to cross close to the comet's trail, producing a noticeable meteor shower. Astronomers are studying the Spitzer image for clues to the comet's composition and how it fell apart. Like NASA's Deep Impact experiment, in which a probe smashed into comet Tempel 1, the cracked Comet 73P/Schwassman-Wachmann 3 provides a perfect laboratory for studying the pristine interior of a comet. This image was taken from May 4 to May 6 by Spitzer's Multiband Imaging Photometer, using its 24-micron wavelength channel.
Author	Spitzer Space Telescope
Copyright holder	http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/mediaimages/copyright.shtml
Short title	A Million Comet Pieces
Credit/Provider	NASA/JPL-Caltech/W. Reach (SSC/Caltech)
Headline	This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the broken Comet 73P/Schwassman-Wachmann 3 skimming along a trail of debris left during its multiple trips around the sun. The flame-like objects are the comet's fragments and their tails, while the dusty comet trail is the line bridging the fragments.
Source	Spitzer Space Telescope
Usage terms	Public Domain
Date and time of data generation	10 May 2006
Width	3,000 px
Height	2,400 px
Bits per component	8 8 8
Compression scheme	LZW
Pixel composition	RGB
Orientation	Normal
Number of components	3
Horizontal resolution	300 dpi
Vertical resolution	300 dpi
Data arrangement	chunky format
Software used	Adobe Photoshop CS3 Macintosh
File change date and time	14:48, 5 June 2009
Color space	Uncalibrated
Contact information	http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena, CA, 91125 USA
Keywords	Comet 73P Comet Schwassman-Wachmann 3
IIM version	2

File:Comet 73P Schwassmann-Wachmann 3.jpg

Captions

Captions

Summary edit

Licensing edit

File history

File usage on Commons

File usage on other wikis

Metadata

Structured data

Items portrayed in this file

depicts

73P/Schwassmann–Wachmann

inception

10 May 2006

media type

image/jpeg

checksum

fb9f68d3d501415aba9cb3ce0790e101734d94d6

data size

3,265,391 byte

height

2,400 pixel

width

3,000 pixel