Comet Hyakutake Tail Disconnection and Galaxy M101 - 25 Years Ago (Jerry Lodriguss)

Contains: Solar system body or event

Comet Hyakutake Tail Disconnection and Galaxy M101 - 25 Years Ago

Link: https://www.astropix.com/html/comets/hyakutake_09.html

Comet Hyakutake Tail Disconnection and Galaxy M101 - 25 Years Ago

Link: https://www.astropix.com/html/comets/hyakutake_09.html

Spiral galaxy M101 can be seen through the tail of Comet Hyakutake, with a major disconnection event visible above and to the left of the galaxy.

The galaxy is really millions of light years away, while the comet is inside of our own solar system with its tail just passing in front of our line-of-sight to the galaxy.

The ion tail can actually disconnect from the comet when the comet crosses a region of different polarity in the magnetic field of the sun. A new ion tail begins forming immediately leaving the disconnected tail behind.

This photo was taken at 08:23 UT on March 25th, just a little more than an hour after the comet's closest approach to Earth. The comet passed 15 million kilometers away, just 40 times farther than the distance to the Moon.

From my journal notes: "As the comet gets to the western side of the meridian, I am really tired and ready to pack up. It is about 3 am. There are some high clouds around. I think I am going to call it a night. But then I remember that M101 is in the comet's tail right now, so I decide to take a 10 min exposure with the 400/2.8 just for the heck of it, and guide on a star instead of the comet, so the galaxy won't be a blur. This turns out to be one of the best spur-of-the-moment decisions I have ever made in my entire life!"

Exposure Data

Camera: Nikon F3

Lens: 400mm f/2.8 ED Nikkor telephoto

F/stop: 2.8

Exposure: Single 10 minute original

Film: Gas-hypersensitized Fujicolor Super G 800 Plus

Filter: None

Exposure start: 08:23 UT

Date: 25 March 1996

Location: Chatsworth, New Jersey, USA

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Comet Hyakutake Tail Disconnection and Galaxy M101 - 25 Years Ago

Comet Hyakutake Tail Disconnection and Galaxy M101 - 25 Years Ago

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Comet Hyakutake Tail Disconnection and Galaxy M101 - 25 Years Ago

Comet Hyakutake Tail Disconnection and Galaxy M101 - 25 Years Ago

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