NASA Hubble Space Telescope images of comet NEOWISE, taken on Aug. 8, zero in on the visitor’s coma, the gossamer shell of gas and dust that surrounds its nucleus as it is heated by the Sun. This is the first time Hubble has photographed a comet of this brightness at such resolution after this close of a pass by the Sun.
We have peer review!
The object—still to be identified— will make its closest approach next month, and experts are still unsure what exactly it is. Astronomers say that the mystery object appears extremely DARK and unreflective. In addition to that, scientists state that the object has an unknown origin.
NASA’s NEOWISE mission has recently discovered some celestial objects traveling through our neighborhood, including one on the blurry line between asteroid and comet. Another—definitely a comet—might be seen with binoculars through next week.
