彗星、鲸鱼和曲棍球棒
(原标题: The Comet, the Whale, and the Hockey Stick)
2021-05-13
浏览次数: 33
3月1日最接近太阳，4月23日最接近地球，这颗彗星ATLAS （C/2020 R4）在这张漂亮的望远镜视野中显示出微弱的绿色彗发和短尾。这颗彗星在5月5日的位置被捕捉到，它位于北极星星座（猎犬星座）的边界内，靠近迷人的背景星系的视线，这些星系通常被称为鲸鱼和曲棍球棒。NGC 4631看起来像鲸类，但大小却像银河系，它是一个螺旋星系，在右上方，距离我们大约2500万光年。NGC 4656/7呈现出NGC 4631下方和左侧相互作用星系的弯曲棒状。事实上，在其他波长探测到的扭曲和混合的气体痕迹表明，宇宙鲸鱼和曲棍球棒在遥远的过去曾经有过近距离的接触。这颗ATLAS彗星离地球只有7光分的距离，它将在不到1000年的时间里重新造访太阳系内部。
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Closest to the Sun on March 1, and closest to planet Earth on April 23, this Comet ATLAS (C/2020 R4) shows a faint greenish coma and short tail in this pretty, telescopic field of view. Captured at its position on May 5, the comet was within the boundaries of northern constellation Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs), and near the line-of-sight to intriguing background galaxies popularly known as the Whale and the Hockey Stick. Cetacean in appearance but Milky Way sized, NGC 4631 is a spiral galaxy seen edge-on at the top right, some 25 million light-years away. NGC 4656/7 sports the bent-stick shape of interacting galaxies below and left of NGC 4631. In fact, the distortions and mingling trails of gas detected at other wavelengths suggest the cosmic Whale and Hockey Stick have had close encounters with each other in their distant past. Outbound and only about 7 light-minutes from Earth this Comet ATLAS should revisit the inner solar system in just under 1,000 years.
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