Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Astronomers are now reporting that this magnificent comet also cast a shadow against the glare of the solar system's ultraviolet haze. The sun itself is positioned below the bottom center of the cropped image and the large bright spot is ultraviolet sunlight scattered by the cloud of hydrogen gas surrounding Hale-Bopp's nucleus. Just above and to the left is a broad, diffuse, dark streak - the 150 million kilometer long shadow produced by the denser regions of this hydrogen envelope. These observations indicate that Hale-Bopp's nucleus was producing about 300 tons of water per second.
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