Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Comet ATLAS Rounds the Sun

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 20, 2025 is “Comet ATLAS Rounds the Sun,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: NASA , SOHO Spacecraft , LASCO C3; Processing: Rolando Ligustri. The original explanation runs about 155 words.

A comet is seen near the top of the image. The comet has several tails visible, some being white but others having different colors. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , SOHO Spacecraft , LASCO C3; Processing: Rolando Ligustri Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Why does Comet ATLAS have such colorful tails? Last week Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) passed its closest to the Sun — well inside the orbit of Mercury — and brightened dramatically .”

— APOD editors, January 20, 2025

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
January 20, 2025
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , SOHO Spacecraft , LASCO C3; Processing: Rolando Ligustri
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 155 words

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Topics in this entry

The SunComets

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: January 20 in other years

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Source

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.