Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Tails of Comet Wierzchoś

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 17, 2026 is “Tails of Comet Wierzchoś,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: José J. Chambó ; Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )). The original explanation runs about 149 words.

A star field shows a bright comet with its head on the lower left and tails extending toward the upper right. A background galaxy is visible on the far right. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: José J. Chambó ; Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II ) Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Some comets are regular guests of our solar neighborhood; others come by only once, never to return. We won’t have another chance to see Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchoś ), which is currently making its way through the inner Solar System .”

— APOD editors, February 17, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
February 17, 2026
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: José J. Chambó ; Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 149 words

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Topics in this entry

Comets

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: February 17 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.