Green Comet Thrills Amateur Astronomer (Photo)

Comet Linear 252P by Chumack
The green glow of a spring comet lights up this stunning image taken by astrophotographer John Chumack from John Bryan State Park Observatory in Yellow Springs, Ohio on April 12, 2016. (Image credit: John Chumack | www.galacticimages.com )

The green glow of  a spring comet lights up this stunning image.

Astrophotographer John Chumack took the photo from John Bryan State Park Observatoryin Yellow Springs, Ohio on April 12,.

"It is easily visible in binoculars under dark skies, and is fairly large and diffuse ... so it may look like a faint open star cluster," Chumack wrote to Space.com. 

Comet 252P/LINEAR is a periodic comet and near-Earth object discovered by the LINEAR survey on April 7, 2000. The comet's core is estimated to be 750 feet (230 meters) across. In March, Comet 252P/LINEAR made a close flyby of Earth alongside a second comet (called BA14).

Chumack used a 5.5 inch diameter Newtonian reflector telescope, Modified Canon Rebel Xsi camera at ISO 1600, 72 Minute exposure for tracking the comet's nucleus.

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Contributing Writer and Producer

Nina Sen is a freelance writer and producer who covered night sky photography and astronomy for Space.com. She began writing and producing content for Space.com in 2011 with a focus on story and image production, as well as amazing space photos captured by NASA telescopes and other missions. Her work also includes coverage of amazing images by astrophotographers that showcase the night sky's beauty.