NASA Releases Comet ISON Images from STEREO Nov. 22, 2013

NASA Releases Comet ISON Images from STEREO

Nov. 22, 2013

Comet ISON appeared in the higher-resolution HI-1 camera on NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft. Dark "clouds" coming from the right are more dense areas in the solar wind, causing ripples in Comet Encke's tail. Using comet tails as tracers can provide valuable data about solar wind conditions near the sun.

Image Credit: 

Karl Battams/NASA/STEREO/CIOC

Download additional imagery from NASA Goddard's Scientific Visualization Studio

Comet ISON entered the field of view of the HI-1 camera on NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, or STEREO, on Nov. 21, 2013, and the comet shows up clearly, appearing to still be intact.

Comet ISON entered the view of NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory on Nov. 21, 2013, where it can be seen with Earth, Mercury and comet 2P/Encke.

Image Credit: 

Karl Battams/NASA/STEREO/CIOC

Download additional imagery from NASA Goddard's Scientific Visualization Studio

Officially labeled as Comet C/2012 S1, ISON can be seen in these images along with Earth, Mercury and Comet 2P/Encke. The tails streaking out from behind both comets can be seen moving along with the steady stream of particles – called the solar wind – that flows out from the sun.

Karen C. Fox
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.