Explanation:
Sometimes the sky itself is the best show in town.
In January 2007, people from
Perth,
Australia
gathered on a local beach to
watch a sky light up with delights near and far.
Nearby, fireworks exploded as part of
Australia Day celebrations.
On the far right,
lightning from a
thunderstorm
flashed in the distance.
Near the image center, though, seen through clouds, was the most unusual sight of all: Comet McNaught.
The
photogenic comet was so bright that it even remained visible though the din of Earthly flashes.
Comet McNaught has now returned to the outer Solar System and is now
only visible with a large telescope.
The
above image
is actually a three photograph panorama digitally processed to reduce
red reflections from the exploding
firework.
