Comet McNaught over the Atacama salt-lake
At the beginning of January 2007, skywatchers were visited by a “new” comet which came to be the brightest of the previous 40 years. Discovered in August 2006, it reached perihelion in January 2007. Here in the picture, Comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) is setting on the western horizon of the Atacama salt-lake, seen from the ALMA Operations Support Facility (OSF), located at 2900 m altitude on the road to Chajnantor. The lights in the background come from the lithium mine on the other edge of the salt-lake. ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, is the largest astronomical project in existence and it is currently under construction on the Chajnantor plateau at 5000 m altitude.
Bildnachweis:ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
Über das Bild
ID: | alma-hh-09 |
Typ: | Fotografisch |
Veröffentlichungsdatum: | 14. Juni 2010 17:55 |
Größe: | 2912 x 4368 px |
Über das Objekt
Name: | Comet McNaught |
Typ: | Solar System : Interplanetary Body : Comet |
Kategorie: | Solar System |