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This comet is currently
around 10th magnitude and moving about a degree per day. The
brilliant star Aldebaran marks the eye of Taurus the Bull, while
the huge open cluster that occupies most of this image is called
the Hyades which is one of the very closest clusters to our solar
system. At 0.5 magnitude its combined light is one of the very
brightest as well, spanning a huge 330 arc minutes in size.
On this night,
the comet is perfectly centered on the cluster, and the comet
is near peak brightness. We were very fortunate to be able to
plan this shot in advance and then have the chance to image it,
despite strong gusts of wind during the exposures.
The comets strong
green hue is from the excited carbon and nitrogen molecules in
the form of Cyanogen glowing from the impact of the solar radation.
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