False-colour optical image of Halley's Comet. The image is a computer-processed version of a black & white plate taken in 1910 at the Lowell Observatory. The colours represent varying levels of brightness across the image. Named after Edmund Halley (1656-1742),who first recognised its periodicity,the comet has been recorded every 76 years since 240 BC. It consists of a potato- shaped nucleus of ice & dust. Its tail is formed as the comet is heated when it approaches the Sun. Dust & gas are released and swept into a tail both by radiation pressure and by the solar wind | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / NOAO |
Taille de l’image : | 3635 px × 2480 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : |
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