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.
Créditos:ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
Sobre a imagem
Id: | alma-hh-09 |
Tipo: | Fotográfico |
Data de divulgação: | 14 de Junho de 2010 às 17:55 |
Tamanho: | 2912 x 4368 px |
Sobre o objeto
Nome: | Comet McNaught |
Tipo: | Solar System : Interplanetary Body : Comet |
Categoria: | Solar System |