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Jul 10, 2020

Parker Solar Probe Spies Newly-Discovered Comet NEOWISE

Posted by in category: space

Our Parker Solar Probe was at the right place at the right time to capture a unique view of comet #NEOWISE on July 5. Parker Solar Probe’s position in space gave the spacecraft an unmatched view of the comet’s twin tails when it was particularly active just after its closest approach to the Sun, called perihelion. https://go.nasa.gov/3fkqTdm

The first image is unprocessed data from Parker Solar Probe’s WISPR instrument, which takes images of the Sun’s outer atmosphere and solar wind in visible light.

The twin tails of comet NEOWISE are seen more clearly in the second image. This version of the image has been processed to increase contrast and remove excess brightness from scattered sunlight, revealing more detail in the comet tails.

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