Comet Stepping Stones

Spitzer_sig06-011_1024

spitzer_sig06-011 May 5th, 2006

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/W. Reach (SSC/Caltech)

This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows three of the many fragments making up Comet 73P/Schwassman-Wachmann 3. The infrared picture also provides the best look yet at the crumbling comet's trail of debris, seen here as a bridge connecting the larger fragments.

The comet circles around our sun every 5.4 years. In 1995, it splintered apart into four pieces, labeled A through D, with C being the biggest. Since then, the comet has continued to fracture into dozens of additional pieces. This image is centered about midway between fragments C and B; fragment G can be seen in the upper right corner.

The comet's trail is made of dust, pebbles and rocks left in the comet's wake during its numerous journeys around the sun. Such debris can become the stuff of spectacular meteor showers on Earth.

This image was taken on April 1, 2006, by Spitzer's multi-band imaging photometer using the 24-micron wavelength channel.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2299-sig06-011-Comet-Stepping-Stones

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

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

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Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Comet Schwassman-Wachmann 3 Comet 73P
Subject - Solar System
Interplanetary Body > Comet > Tail > Dust

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Pseudocolor Spitzer (MIPS) Infrared (Mid-IR) 24.0 µm
Spectrum_ir1
Pseudocolor
Spitzer_sig06-011_1280
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ID
sig06-011
Subject Category
A.2.2.3.1  
Subject Name
Comet Schwassman-Wachmann 3, Comet 73P
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/W. Reach (SSC/Caltech)
Release Date
2006-05-05
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2299-sig06-011-Comet-Stepping-Stones
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Spitzer
Instrument
MIPS
Color Assignment
Pseudocolor
Band
Infrared
Bandpass
Mid-IR
Central Wavelength
24000
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
Equinox
Reference Value
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Spitzer Space Telescope
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
sig06-011.tif
Metadata Date
2012-10-11
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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There is no distance meta data in this image.

 

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