NGC 4424 and LEDA 213994

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The NGC and its modern counterpart

This Hubble image shows NGC 4424 and LEDA 213994.

The largest galaxy visible in the in the image is NGC 4424. The magnitude +11.7 galaxy is located 30 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo (The Virgin).

LEDA 213994, magnitude +15.5, is the smaller and flatter galaxy that appears below NGC 4424.

A magnitude +17.7 star (USNOA2 0975-06963766) appears in the lower center of the image.

In 2012, a Type Ia Supernova was observed by astronomers in NGC 4424. The supernova was dubbed SN 2012cg. You can view ground-based images of SN 2012cg here.

Image credit: ESA/Hubble/NASA

SOHO spacecraft spots a small comet

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SOHO-2875

SOHO-2875

The SOHO spacecraft spotted a small comet (SOHO-2875) within its field-of-view. The first image is a composite image created from a series of SOHO LASCO C2 images captured on Feb. 19, 2015. The odd little horizontal spikes on the comet are saturation spikes caused by the comet’s brightness overwhelming the instrument’s sensor. The second image is a composite image created from a series of SOHO LASCO C3 images captured from Feb. 17-20, 2015. Cosmic rays appear in each composite image.

Credit: SOHO/NASA/ESA/@ObservingSpace

Updated: The small comet has been named C/2015 D1 (SOHO)

W. Boonplod

Comet SOHO

Comet 67P compared to the University of Phoenix Stadium

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Comet 67P c

This is an image of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko with an approximate scaled image of the University of Phoenix Stadium. The image of comet 67P was captured by Rosetta’s navigation camera on Jan. 18, 2015.

The image of the University of Phoenix Stadium was captured via Google Earth, scaled, and placed on comet 67P for a visual comparison.

Credits: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM – CC BY-SA IGO 3.0
Google Earth
Images edited by @ObservingSpace

Where are you, Philae?

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Where are you, Philae?

This is an updated graphic created from a NAVCAM image released in Dec. 2014. It includes the known locations of Philae as it traveled across comet 67P on Nov. 12, 2014 from 15:14-15:43 GMT. The red dot marks Philae’s first touchdown point that occurred at 15:43 GMT. Another white dot marks Philae’s last spotted location as it traveled across comet 67P at 15:43 GMT. These locations are derived from a mosaic image released on Nov. 17, 2014 (see below).

The yellow path marks the general direction (not the exact path) that Philae may have taken to reach the area marked by a red question mark. The red question mark marks a location where Philae may have been on Nov. 12, 2014 at 17:18 GMT. This general location is derived from an imaged released on Jan. 30, 2015 (see below). As of today, Philae’s final location still remains unknown.

Miscellaneous Images
Here is a graphic that was released on Nov. 17, 2014 of Philae drifting across comet 67P on Nov. 12, 2014.

Here is an image released today, Jan. 30, 2015, of what might be Philae above the rim of Hatmehit on Nov. 12, 2014 at 17:18 GMT.

Philae traveling above comet 67P

This is image shows an example search area (Philae would only be 3 pixels across).

Philae traveling above comet 67P

Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA