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APOD: 2026 August 8 – A Messier Moment for Tempel 2
A modern telescopic image recorded on July 29 shows periodic comet 10P/Tempel 2 appearing close to the globular star cluster Messier 30.
Why it matters
It demonstrates how different celestial objects can look similar in a telescope despite being vastly different distances away.
The details
- Messier 30 is located some 28,000 light-years distant.
- Comet Tempel 2 was roughly 3.5 light-minutes away from M30.
- The comet features a diffuse greenish coma.
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