November 13, 1996
On your birthday, photons that left distant stars before humans walked the Earth finally completed their journey. You began yours.
Seven Jets from Comet Hale-Bopp Credit:
Birthday · November 13, 1996
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published November 13, 1996. Full image credits are on the original APOD entry below. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
Comet Hale-Bopp is turning out to be quite unusual. One reason is the great amount of jet activity at such a large distance from the Sun. In the above false-color image, no less than seven jets can be seen emanating from Hale-Bopp's coma. As a comet nears the Sun, it's surface warms causing jets of previously trapped gas and dust to stream away from the nucleus. Astronomers continue to study Comet Hale-Bopp's unusual jet activity and wonder how much about the early Solar System Hale-Bopp will teach them, and how bright Hale-Bopp will ultimately become.