Astronomy Picture of the Day · February 4, 2002

Comet LINEAR (WM1) Shines in the South

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 4, 2002 is “Comet LINEAR (WM1) Shines in the South,” an image. It is credited to Credit: Gordon Garradd , Loomberah NSW Australia. The original explanation runs about 122 words.

From the explanation

“A new comet has brightened unexpectedly and is currently visible to unaided observers of southern skies. Comet C/2000 WM1 (LINEAR) is now reported by some observers to be at third magnitude , making it brighter — although more diffuse — than most visible stars.”

— APOD editors, February 4, 2002

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: February 4, 2002
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: Gordon Garradd , Loomberah NSW Australia
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 122 words

All of February 2002 → · 2002 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Comets

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: February 4 in other years

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, February 4, 2002 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2002-february-4-comet-linear-wm1-shines-in-the-south

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.