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Comet Linear Fragments


Depicts: Comet Linear, C/1999 S4
Copyright: Harold Weaver (the Johns Hopkins University), and the HST Comet LINEAR Investigation Team, University of Hawaii and NASA

Lower Right

In one stunning Hubble picture the fate of the mysteriously vanished solid nucleus of Comet LINEAR has been settled. The Hubble picture shows that the comet nucleus has been reduced to a shower of glowing "mini-comets" resembling the fiery fragments from an exploding aerial firework.

Upper Right

A ground-based telescopic view (2.2-meter telescope) of Comet LINEAR taken on August 5, at nearly the same time as the Hubble observations.

Last Update: 1 September 2019
14-Mar-2026 23:57 UT

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