Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2020 January 30 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Two Clusters and a Comet Image Credit & [3]Copyright: Rolando Ligustri ([4]CARA Project, [5]CAST) Explanation: This lovely starfield spans some four full moons (about 2 degrees) across the heroic northern constellation of [6]Perseus. In telescopic exposures made during the nights of January 24, 26, and 28 it holds the famous pair of open or galactic star clusters h and Chi Persei with comet PanSTARRS (C/2017 T2) captured each night as it swept left to right across the field of view. Also cataloged as [7]NGC 869 (right) and NGC 884, both star clusters are about 7,000 light-years away and contain stars much younger and hotter than the Sun. Separated by only a few hundred light-years, the clusters are both 13 million years young [8]based on the ages of their [9]individual stars, evidence that they were likely a product of the same [10]star-forming region. Discovered in 2017 while still beyond the orbit of Saturn, Comet PanSTARRs is [11]a new visitor to the inner solar system and just over 13 light-minutes from planet Earth. Always a rewarding [12]sight in binoculars, the Double Cluster is even visible to the unaided eye from [13]dark locations. [14]C/2017 T2 could remain a telescopic comet though. One of the brightest [15]comets anticipated in 2020 it makes its closest approach to the Sun in early May. Tomorrow's picture: Goldilocks and the Three Stars __________________________________________________________________ [16]< | [17]Archive | [18]Submissions | [19]Index | [20]Search | [21]Calendar | [22]RSS | [23]Education | [24]About APOD | [25]Discuss | [26]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [27]Robert Nemiroff ([28]MTU) & [29]Jerry Bonnell ([30]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [31]Specific rights apply. [32]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [33]ASD at [34]NASA / [35]GSFC & [36]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2001/C2017T2_2020-01-24-26-28_posta.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. http://cara.uai.it/ 5. http://www.castfvg.it/ 6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus_constellation 7. http://messier.seds.org/xtra/ngc/n0869.html 8. http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0205130 9. http:/messier.seds.org/open.html 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080928.html 11. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/oort-cloud/overview/ 12. http://10minuteastronomy.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/mission-11-cassiopeia-and-the-double-cluster/ 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060413.html 14. http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2017T2/2017T2.html 15. https://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/comets-to-catch-in-2020/ 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200129.html 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 20. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 25. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=200130 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200131.html 27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 30. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 32. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 33. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 34. https://www.nasa.gov/ 35. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 36. http://www.mtu.edu/