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Dan Burbank / NASA file
Comet Lovejoy's tail rises up from near Earth's horizon in an image captured by NASA astronaut Dan Burbank on Dec. 21, 2011.
It was just a year ago that NASA Astronaut Dan Burbank caught sight of what he called "the most amazing thing I have ever seen in space": Comet Lovejoy and its long streams of shining gas and dust, seen from a vantage point 240 miles above Earth.
The spectacle that Burbank saw from the International Space Station, and that other observers watched from the world below, was quickly nicknamed the "Great Christmas Comet of 2011" and the "Star of Wonder." Lovejoy lit up the skies of the Southern Hemisphere — but most northern observers could experience it only vicariously.
Next Christmas, there's a chance that the Northern Hemisphere will get in on a star of wonder: Comet ISON, which is due to make its circuit through the inner solar system next November and December. It's still too early to say whether ISON will be the "Great Christmas Comet of 2013" or a great disappointment. But astronomers are keeping a close eye on the comet, and some are wondering whether they're already seeing the start of a cometary tail.
This Christmas, the rest of us will have to content ourselves with visions of future sugarplum comets — and tales of the original Star of Wonder, more than two millennia ago.
This look back at Comet Lovejoy serves as the penultimate picture from the Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar, which has been offering up daily images of Earth from space through the month of December. Check back on Christmas for the final picture of this year's series — and check out the links below for the rest of the Advent calendar images:
- 2012 Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar
- Day 1: A fantastic Chinese fan
- Day 2: Satellite shows a Grander Canyon
- Day 3: Typhoon stirs awe — and alarm
- Day 4: Glittering nighttime view of Riyadh
- Day 5: Night lights shine on 'Black Marble'
- Day 6: Holy sites seen at night
- Day 7: Blue Marble still leaves its mark
- Day 8: Satellites look into a volcano's hell
- Day 9: Jack Frost nipping at Alaska's nose
- Day 10: Cosmonaut looks down on peaks
- Day 11: Earth looms above moonwalker
- Day 12: Skytree casts shadow on Tokyo
- Day 13: Aurora sets stage for meteor show
- Day 14: Apollo's last look at Earthrise
- Day 15: A sobering moment from space
- Day 16: Middle Earth spotted from orbit
- Day 17: Mount Etna erupts ... in 3-D!
- Day 18: Gaze into the Great Blue Hole
- Day 19: Mount Fuji goes fuzzy
- Day 20: Look down on a ruined Maya city
- Day 21: Pyramids have their day in the sun
- Day 22: Outer-space views go festive
- Day 23: Satellites check in on North Pole
- 2011 Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar
- 2010 Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar
- The Atlantic: Hubble Advent Calendar
- Zooniverse Advent Calendar
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other science and space news coverage, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered via email. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about dwarf planets and the search for new worlds.
Leave a Comment:
What a simply stunning wonder in the heavens for mankind to stop and look up to in appreciation.With all his conflicts, fighting,small mindedness, it's refreshing to remember, there are larger things going on in the universe besides our constant messy business, worldly issues and individual problems.
Perhaps stepping back and realizing we all share just one planet, which so far, seems to be the only one with rich abundant life(foolish humans included). If we really took the time to understand and appreciate what we have, some countries might remember they also have more in common, then not,with everyone on this planet. Even those we might consider our enemies. For should an asteroid hit our world one day, dang, now that would really be awful!) it won't care who we like or don't.It will make no judgment calls.
One life doesn't seem such a big deal, in the scheme of the universe. Yet every soul is profoundly unique and in its genes has the potential of affecting the entire planet someday. Like an apple, carries untold numbers of apple orchards within its apple seeds. The Lovejoy comet is a wonderful way of reminding us, especially at this time of year.Peace on earth good will towards men.
How do they know it's Comet when it could just be Blitzen.
Comet Lovejoy was a beauty, no doubt!
Thanks Alan..... It is very thoughtful that of you that we should celebrate "Advent from the Cosmos" I do not tire in seeing these beautiful pics... As I said before, the beauty of nature is only beautiful as man views it and give it meaning.... Creation is awesome as man considers his place in it.
Sure it is. That's what you say every year :)