Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Structure in the ion tale of Comet Hyakutake is now clearly visible. An ion tale forms as a comet nears the Sun .
Sunlight causes gas and dust to boil off the comet's solid nucleus.
The ion tale will appear blue and glows by fluorescence . As Comet Hyakutake gets closer to the Sun during the next month, a dust tail is expected to be visible as well. Dust tails shine by light reflected from the Sun. Comet tails point away from the Sun, even as a comet moves away from the Sun. For observers in the Northern Hemisphere, Comet Hyakutake should appear tonight in the eastern part of the constellation of Virgo and should be about magnitude 2.5.