Himmelsnomade im Mittelpunkt
Auf diesem neuen ESO-Bild öffnet der Anbruch der Nacht den Vorhang für eine theatralische Darbietung, die sich vor wolkenlosem Himmel über La Silla präsentiert.
Als Hauptdarsteller dieser aktivitätsgeladenen Szenerie sind der Komet Lovejoy, der grünlich in der Mitte des Bildes leuchtet, die Pleiaden oben rechts und der Californianebel zu erkennen, der direkt rechts neben Lovejoy als roter Gasbogen für Kontrast sorgt.
Ein Meteor fügt einen weiteren Lichtstreifen hinzu, der in das diffuse grüne Leuchten des Airglows am Horizont hineinzutauchen scheint.
Die Teleskope von La Silla stellen das Publikum dieses Himmelsschauspiels dar. Ein dünner Schleier von niedrig stehenden Wolken klammert sich an die Ebene unterhalb des Observatoriums, die von der Panamericana durchzogen wird.
Der Schweif von Komet Lovejoy wird durch Sonnenwinde von dem Kometen weggedrückt. Kohlenstoffhaltige Bestandteile, die von der ultravioletten Strahlung der Sonne angeregt wurden, geben ihm seinen auffällig grünen Farbton.
Dies ist das erste Mal in über 11.000 Jahren, dass der Komet das innere Sonnensystem passiert und so spektakulär erleuchtet erscheint. Durch seine stark elliptische Umlaufbahn um die Sonne — geringfügig durch Planeten abgeändert — wird er unseren Himmel für die nächsten 8000 Jahre nicht beehren, nachdem er die Sonne umrundet hat und seine einsame Rückreise in die kälteren äußeren Regionen des Sonnensystems angetreten hat.
Diese Bild wurde von ESO-Fotobotschafter Petr Horálek während eines Besuchs in La Silla im Januar 2015 aufgenommen. Der Himmel wurde in diesem Bild mit einer Serie von Langzeitbelichtungen festgehalten, die zu diesem beeindruckenden Blick auf den Kometen geführt haben. Die untere Hälfte kommt jedoch mit lediglich der Hälfte der Aufnahmen aus, um die Schärfe der Landschaft von La Silla zu erhalten.
Bildnachweis:P. Horálek/ESO
Über das Bild
| ID: | potw1504a |
| Sprache: | de-at |
| Typ: | Fotografisch |
| Veröffentlichungsdatum: | 26. Januar 2015 10:00 |
| Größe: | 4961 x 3543 px |
Über das Objekt
| Name: | C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) |
| Typ: | Solar System : Interplanetary Body : Comet |
Bildformate
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