Astronomy Picture of the Day · May 13, 2006

Crumbling Comet

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 13, 2006 is “Crumbling Comet,” an image. It is credited to Credit: William Reach ( SSC /Caltech), et al. , JPL , Caltech , NASA. The original explanation runs about 142 words.

From the explanation

“This false-color mosaic of crumbling comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 spans about 6 degrees (12 full moons) along the comet’s orbit. Recorded on May 4-6 by an infrared camera on board the Spitzer Space Telescope, the picture captures about 45 of the 60 or more alphabetically cataloged large comet fragments.”

— APOD editors, May 13, 2006

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: May 13, 2006
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: William Reach ( SSC /Caltech), et al. , JPL , Caltech , NASA
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 142 words

All of May 2006 → · 2006 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Comets

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: May 13 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, May 13, 2006 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2006-may-13-crumbling-comet

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.