Explanation:
This false-color mosaic
of crumbling comet
Schwassmann-Wachmann 3
spans about 6 degrees (12 full moons) along the comet's orbit.
Recorded on May 4-6 by an infrared camera on board the
Spitzer Space Telescope, the picture captures about 45 of
the 60 or more
alphabetically
cataloged large comet fragments.
The brightest fragment at the upper right of the track
is Fragment C.
Bright Fragment B
is below and left of center.
Looking for clues to how the comet broke up,
Spitzer's infrared view also captures
the trail of dust left over as the comet deteriorated
during previous
passes.
Emission from the dust particles warmed by sunlight appears
to fill the space along the cometary orbit.
The fragments are near their closest approach
in the coming
days, about 10 million kilometers away, and
none
pose any danger to our fair planet.
