Strangers in the Night: Comet and Nebula: Big Pic
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Oct. 13, 2011 -- When Comet 103P/Hartley 2 tumbled through the inner solar system in the Fall of 2010, NASA's "recycled" EPOXI mission (formerly known as Deep Impact) was there to take a closer look at this fascinating object. Although EPOXI had a ringside seat, astronomers on Earth were able to watch the dazzling show from afar.
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In this spectacular composite photograph by British astronomer Nick Howes, Hartley 2 is imaged next to the distant NGC 281 -- dubbed the "Pacman Nebula" due to its likeness to the video game character. The photograph was taken in Oct. 2010 from Cherhill, Wiltshire, England.
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For more details on how this image was created, and high-resolution versions, visit Howes' Flickr page. More of Nick's astronomical photography can be found here.
BIG PIC: Flyby Reveals Stunning Complexity of Comet Hartley 2
-- by Ian O'Neill.
Image credit/copyright: Nick Howes. All rights reserved. Image used with permission.
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