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The Nucleus of Halley's Comet (TPR)

The Nucleus of Halley's Comet (TPR)
The Nucleus of Halley's Comet (TPR) As Giotto closed in on Halley's Comet, it took this image of the peanut-shaped nucleus from 18,000 kilometers away. Scientists estimate the nucleus to be roughly 15 x 6 kilometers in size, somewhat larger than expected. The Sun illuminates the comet from the lower right side, warming the icy nucleus and causing bright dust jets to burst outward. The dark region on the upper left section of the nucleus has not yet been identified. Max Planck Institut fur Aeronomie