Well, this is the coolest thing I've seen today…

by Diane

Comet NEAT (a long-period comet, newly discovered — aka C2002/V1) happened to be within view of the LASCO instrument of the SOHO solar probe at the same time that the Sun threw a minor fit in the shape of a CME — a coronal mass ejection. Look at that tail pop out!

More data on this felicitous flyby is at http://www.astrobio.net/news/article381.html, courtesy of Astrobiology Magazine.

Something else lovely to look at: check out their slideshow of “the Sun as Art.” I briefly thought the first one was the Eye of Sauron from the films, until I remembered that the pupil on that version of the Eye is slitted.

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