APOD: 2026 May 12 – The Conjunction of Comet R3 PanSTARRS and the Orion Nebula
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2026 May 12
The Conjunction of Comet R3 PanSTARRS and the Orion Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright:
Julien De Winter,
Sascha Ebeler
Text:
Keighley Rockcliffe
(NASA
GSFC,
UMBC CSST,
CRESST II)
Explanation:
Today’s composite image
features
something old,
something new, something borrowed, and something blue!
Comet R3 PanSTARRS,
streaking across the right of the image, likely originated from
the Oort Cloud,
meaning it is an old Solar System relic from billions of years ago. It’s bright extended
ion tail
glows blue as the gas escaping the comet’s core is ionized by sunlight. Astronomers are fascinated by
comets
for all sorts of reasons: comet compositions are untouched time capsules containing the building blocks of Solar System planets; comets may have
delivered water
to the young Earth; the behavior of cometary tails shed light on solar wind and radiation interactions. The background mosaic, featuring
the Orion Nebula
(M42),
was taken over two nights of observation with the comet captured on the third night.
The Orion Nebula
is our nearest stellar nursery and, at
about 2 million years old,
is our something (relatively) new! Now at around
127.5 million kilometers from Earth,
we wave goodbye to the borrowed Comet R3 PanSTARRS as it leaves the Solar System.
Growing Gallery:
Comet R3 in 2026
Tomorrow’s picture: a cluster of stars
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Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn
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