Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2025 November 17 [2]A starfield is shown above a mountain peak. Just above the mountain and extending up toward the upper right is a blue-tinted tail of a comet. The comet's head is just to the left of the peak. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Comet Lemmon's Wandering Tail Image Credit: [3]Ignacio Fernández Explanation: What has happened to Comet Lemmon's tail? The answer is blowing in the wind — the [4]wind from the Sun in this case. This continuous outflow of [5]charged particles from the Sun has been [6]quite variable of late, as the Sun emits bursts of energy, [7]CMEs, that push out and deflect charged particles emitted by the comet itself. The result is a blue hued ion tail for [8]Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) that is not only [9]impressively intricate but takes some unusual turns. [10]This long-duration composite image taken from [11]Alfacar, [12]Spain last month captured this inner Solar System ionic tumult. Comet Lemmon is [13]now fading as it heads [14]out away from the [15]Earth and Sun and back into the outer [16]Solar System. Tomorrow's picture: radio milky way __________________________________________________________________ [17]< | [18]Archive | [19]Submissions | [20]Index | [21]Search | [22]Calendar | [23]RSS | [24]Education | [25]About APOD | [26]Discuss | [27]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [28]Robert Nemiroff ([29]MTU) & [30]Jerry Bonnell ([31]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [32]Specific rights apply. [33]NASA Web Privacy, [34]Accessibility, [35]Notices; A service of: [36]ASD at [37]NASA / [38]GSFC, [39]NASA Science Activation & [40]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2511/LemmonTail_Fernandez_3728.jpg 3. https://www.instagram.com/igneis.nightscapes/ 4. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/what-is-the-solar-wind/ 5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240818.html 6. https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/nasa-noaa-sun-reaches-maximum-phase-in-11-year-solar-cycle/ 7. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/nmp/st5/SCIENCE/cme.html 8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2025_A6_(Lemmon) 9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220125.html 10. https://www.instagram.com/p/DQm4GnvDBkg/ 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfacar#/media/File:Alfacar_Las_Canteras.jpg 12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain 13. https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https://preview.redd.it/xnmijjs6ru671.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=da3f96bfc20dfb063488b7ede90da396545b487a 14. https://theskylive.com/c2025a6-info 15. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/ 16. https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/solar-system/#/home 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251116.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 21. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 23. https://apod.com/feed.rss 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 26. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251117 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251118.html 28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 31. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 33. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 34. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 35. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 36. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 37. https://www.nasa.gov/ 38. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 39. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 40. http://www.mtu.edu/