Astronomy Picture of the Day · February 12, 2017

Comet 45P Passes Near the Earth

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 12, 2017 is “Comet 45P Passes Near the Earth,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: Fritz Helmut Hemmerich). The original explanation runs about 129 words.

From the explanation

“A large snowball has just passed the Earth. Known as Comet 45P/HondaMrkosPajdukov“ , or 45P for short, the comet came 10 times closer to Earth yesterday than the Earth ever gets to the Sun .”

— APOD editors, February 12, 2017

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: February 12, 2017
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Fritz Helmut Hemmerich
Copyright: Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 129 words

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Topics in this entry

The Sun Comets

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, February 12, 2017 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2017-february-12-comet-45p-passes-near-the-earth

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.