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                        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 April 29
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                       The Ion Tail of New Comet SWAN
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Gerald Rhemann

   Explanation: Newly discovered Comet SWAN has already developed an
   impressive tail. The comet came in from the outer [4]Solar System and
   has just passed inside the [5]orbit of the Earth. Officially designated
   [6]C/2020 F8 (SWAN), this outgassing interplanetary iceberg will pass
   its closest to the [7]Earth on May 13, and closest to the [8]Sun on May
   27. [9]The comet was [10]first noticed in late March by an astronomy
   enthusiast looking through images taken by NASA's Sun-orbiting [11]SOHO
   spacecraft, and is named for this spacecraft's [12]Solar Wind
   Anisotropies (SWAN) camera. The [13]featured image, taken from the
   [14]dark skies in [15]Namibia in mid-April, captured [16]Comet SWAN's
   [17]green-glowing coma and unexpectedly long, detailed, and [18]blue
   ion-tail. Although the brightness of comets are notoriously [19]hard to
   predict, some models have Comet SWAN becoming [20]bright enough to
   [21]see with the unaided eye during June.

    Experts Debate: [22]How will humanity first discover extraterrestrial
                                    life?
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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    Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([37]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [38]Specific rights apply.
              [39]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC
                           & [43]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2004/CometSwan_Rhemann_1200.jpg
   3. http://www.astrostudio.at/aboutme.php
   4. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/our-solar-system/in-depth/
   5. https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?ID=dK06M040;orb=1;cov=0
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2020_F8_(SWAN)
   7. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/earth/overview/
   8. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/overview/
   9. https://starwalk.space/en/news/april-2020-comet-swan-c2020-f8
  10. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K20/K20G94.html
  11. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/soho/index.html
  12. https://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/summary/swan/
  13. http://www.astrostudio.at/2_Bright%20Comets.php?img=images/2_Bright%20Comets/543_2020F8_27_04.jpg
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200408.html
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namibia
  16. https://www.universetoday.com/145617/comet-y4-atlas-breaks-up-enter-comet-f8-swan/
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170212.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150121.html
  19. https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/5bad12683c000032000b0e42.jpeg
  20. http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2020F8/2020F8.html
  21. https://theskylive.com/c2020f8-info
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/debate/debate100th.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200428.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  32. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=200429
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200430.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  43. http://www.mtu.edu/