Hubble image archive

Comet NEOWISE

This ground-based image of comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was taken from the Northern Hemisphere on July 16, 2020. The inset image, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope on August 8, 2020, reveals a close-up of the comet after its pass by the Sun. Hubble’s image zeroes in on the comet’s...

Date
Jan 1, 2020
Mission
Hubble Space Telescope
Archive ID
hubblesite-images-2020-45-4729-image
By

This ground-based image of comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was taken from the Northern Hemisphere on July 16, 2020. The inset image, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope on August 8, 2020, reveals a close-up of the comet after its pass by the Sun. Hubble’s image zeroes in on the comet’s nucleus, which is too small to be seen. It’s estimated to measure no more than 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) across. Instead, the image shows a portion of the comet’s coma, the fuzzy glow, which measures about 11,000 miles (18,000 kilometers) across in this image. Comet NEOWISE won’t pass through the inner solar system for another nearly 7,000 years.

Credits

NASA, ESA, STScI, Q. Zhang (Caltech) and Z. Levay.

Image Details

About The Object
Object NameComet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE
Object DescriptionComet

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