Astronomy

70 ASTRONOMY • DECEMBER 2018

1. SCOPE UNDER THE STARS
   This two-image panorama shows
   part of the Observatorio del Roque de
   los Muchachos, which lies 7 ,8 75 feet
   ( 2 ,400 meters) above sea level on
   the island of La Palma in the Spanish
   Canary Islands. This dome houses the
   Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, which
   has a 141 -inch ( 3. 5 8 meters) primary
   mirror. • Chirag Upreti


2. OUTBURST!
   Comet PANSTARRS (C/ 2017 S 3 )
   underwent what astronomers term
   an outburst (a major brightening)
   on July 2 0, 201 8. The image on the
   left shows the comet with a 3 °-long
   tail. Only 23 hours later (right), the
   comet was a full magnitude fainter,
   and no hint of the tail could be seen.

• Gerald Rhemann

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