Scratch Another Comet (November 19, 2010)

Hi-res TIF image (786K)

Quicktime Movie: Large (319K), Small (319K)
MPEG Movie (2.7M)

A 'sungrazing' comet headed towards the Sun, got too close, and likely disintegrated (Nov. 13-14, 2010). With SOHO's coronagraphs blocking out the bright Sun, we are able to capture the comet as its tail elongates and the comet brightens as it approaches the Sun. The video frames from the C2 coronagraph (above) show just 12 hours or so of its final excursion.

The wider field of view of the C3 coronagraph (below) shows about 26 hours of the action. Over 1,950 comets have been discovered with SOHO data.

Hi-res TIF image (3.3M)

Quicktime Movie: Large (2.3M), Small (2.3M)
MPEG Movie (4.0M)

SOHO began its Weekly Pick some time after sending a weekly image or video clip to the American Museum of Natural History (Rose Center) in New York City. There, the SOHO Weekly Pick is displayed with some annotations on a large plasma display.

If your institution would also like to receive the same Weekly Pick from us for display (usually in Photoshop or QuickTime format), please send your inquiry to steele.hill@gsfc.nasa.gov.