Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 June 30 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Jose J. Chambo ([5]Cometografia) Explanation: Imaged on June 20 2022, comet [6]C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) shares this wide telescopic field of view with open star cluster IC 4665 and bright star Beta Ophiuchi, near a starry edge of the Milky Way. On its maiden voyage to the inner Solar System from the dim and [7]distant Oort cloud, this comet PanSTARRS was initially spotted over five years ago, in May 2017. Then it was the [8]most distant active inbound comet ever found, discovered when it was some 2.4 billion kilometers from the Sun. That put it between the [9]orbital distances of Uranus and Saturn. Hubble Space Telescope [10]observations indicated the comet had a large nucleus less than 18 kilometers in diameter. Now visible in [11]small telescopes C/2017 K2 will make its closest approach to planet Earth on July 14 and closest approach to the Sun this December. Its extended coma and developing tail are seen here at a distance of some 290 million kilometers, a mere [12]16 light-minutes away. Tomorrow's picture: solar system trails __________________________________________________________________ [13]< | [14]Archive | [15]Submissions | [16]Index | [17]Search | [18]Calendar | [19]RSS | [20]Education | [21]About APOD | [22]Discuss | [23]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell ([27]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [28]Specific rights apply. [29]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC & [33]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2206/2017K2_2022-06-20_media.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. http://cometografia.es/acerca-de/contactar/ 5. http://cometografia.es/ 6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2017_K2_(PanSTARRS) 7. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/oort-cloud/overview/ 8. https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2017/news-2017-40.html 9. https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/2017/40/4071-Image.html?news=true 10. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017ApJ...847L..19J/abstract 11. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/large-comet-c-2017-k2-panstarrs-summer-2022/ 12. https://theskylive.com/where-is-c2017k2 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220629.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 22. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=220630 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220701.html 24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 31. https://www.nasa.gov/ 32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 33. http://www.mtu.edu/