A magnificent cosmic photo recorded the passage of the comet 46P / Virtanen in the constellation Sagittarius, which on December 15, 2018 became close to Earth. The object was located at a distance of only 11.5 million km, so it was difficult to see without magnifying devices. But in the telescope a beautiful greenish-blue coma appeared.
A widescreen image demonstrates the comet 46P / Virtanen flying the Earth on December 15, 2018. Also visible are the Pleiades, the California Nebula and the meteor. The picture was taken from the Kumead Observatory in the Dark Heaven Nature Reserve (Alzewa, Portugal)
The panoramic scene is composed of three panels obtained at the Kumead Observatory in the Dark Sky Reserve (Alzewa, Portugal). In addition to the comet, you can also see the Pleiades star cluster (M45) located near the center of the photograph.
On the right, look for the California Nebula (NGC 1499), as well as the faint meteor trail from the Geminida stream.
