SOHO Sees Its 750th Comet

This comet was part of the Kreutz family, a group of sungrazing comets. This type of comet usually evaporates in the hot solar atmosphere.

Paris - Apr 07, 2004
On 22 March 2004, the ESA/NASA SOHO solar observatory spacecraft discovered its 750th comet since its launch in December 1995. SOHO comet 750 was discovered by the German amateur astronomer Sebastian Hï¿½nig, one of the most successful SOHO comet-hunters. It was a part of the Kreutz family of 'sungrazing' comets, which usually evaporate in the hot solar atmosphere.

The LASCO coronagraph on SOHO, designed for seeing outbursts from the Sun, uses a mask to block the bright rays from the visible surface. It monitors a large volume of surrounding space and, as a result, has become the most prolific 'discoverer' of comets in the history of astronomy. Its images are displayed on the internet.

More than 75% of the discoveries have come from amateur comet hunters around the world, watching these freely available SOHO images on the internet. So, anyone with internet access can take part in the hunt for new comets and be a 'comet discoverer'! Click here for information about how to search for your own comet: http://ares.nrl.navy.mil/sungrazer/

SOHO is a mission of international co-operation between ESA and NASA, launched in December

1995. Every day SOHO sends thrilling images from which research scientists learn about the Sun's nature and behaviour. Experts around the world use SOHO images and data to help them predict 'space weather' events affecting our planet.

IRON AND ICE

Ulysses Catches Another Comet

Paris (ESA) Feb 13, 2004
Ulysses is not normally associated with the study of comets. Nonetheless, the European-built space probe demonstrated its ability as a "comet catcher" when it crossed the distant tail of comet Hyakutake (C/1996 B2) in 1996.