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Explore Comet Images

Explore Comet Images

Comets change appearances when they are near the Sun!

Comet astronomers describe comets as 'dirty snowballs'. Inside a comet is a solid conglomeration of ices and pieces of rock and dust left over from the early formation of the solar system. This solid inside part is relatively small, only a few miles across. It is called the nucleus.

As a comet approaches the Sun, the Sun's energy warms the comet ices. Comet ices don't melt. Instead, the ices sublimate, changing directly from solid to gas. A giant 'cloud' of gas and dust forms around the comet. This part of the comet is called the coma.

The Sun emits charged particles called the solar wind. The solar wind pushes comet gases and dust away from the comet in long streaming tails which always point away from the Sun.

Find the brightest spot in the coma!

This image of Comet Hale-Bopp was requested by Robert Groover a teacher at Bordentown Regional High School in Bordentown, New Jersey. The image was taken by Dave Lane at Burke-Gaffney Observatory at Saint Mary's University on January 30, 1997.

Open Hands-On Universe Image Processing.
Use the image processing tools to explore comet features in halebopp_jan97.fts.

Change the color palette. Adjust the min and max values. Look for the brightest pixel in the coma.

Measure a comet in all directions!

Use Data Tools, Axes to find the brightest pixel in the comet coma. 

Use the slice tool to measure the comet in all directions.  Measure distances from the brightest point to the edges.

Which image did you explore?	____________________
Brightest Pixel in Coma of the Comet ( x ,y )	____________________
Length of Shortest Slice to Brightest Pixel	____________________
Length of Longest Slice to Brightest Pixel	____________________

What did you learn while exploring comet images?

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

Sketch the comet image with your favorite settings.   Note your min and max, color, log, and zoom settings. Draw the slices you made. 

 

 

 

HOU Educators:  Download halebopp_jan97.fts and halebopp_mar97.fts. 

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