Welcoming an Approaching Comet

As seen on National Geographic News TWAN photographer and his family pose against starry sky of Sweden. Two streaks above the familiar W figure of Cassiopeia are passing satellites, but most important in this picture is a little faint object shown by the arrow in the Cassiopeia. It is the periodic comet 103P/Hartley 2, on its way to its close approach to the Earth in late October 2010 (at 11 million km distance from the Earth). Click on the second photo to see a telescopic view of the comet obtained by TWAN photographer on the same night. Note the beautiful red emission nebula NGC 281 also known as the Pacman Nebula near the comet. © P-M Heden