Article Posted on : - Dec 23, 2011

The spectacular image of comet Lovejoy taken from space. A NASA photo

WASHINGTON (BNS): US space agency NASA on Thursday released breathtaking image of a comet snapped from orbit by an ISS crew member.

The images of comet Lovejoy, which last week survived a fall into Sun's atmosphere, have been captured by NASA astronaut and International Space Station Commander Dan Burbank.

Burbank, who snapped hundreds of still images of the celestial object from about 240 miles (386 kilometers) above the Earth's horizon on Wednesday, described it as "the most amazing thing" he had ever seen in space.

Lovejoy had emerged victorious even after plunging into Sun's atmosphere on December 15. The comet's close encounter with the Sun was recorded by at least five spacecraft.

The new breathtaking image taken by Burbank shows the comet's long, dazzling tail rising above the Earth's horizon.

Comet Lovejoy was discovered by amateur Australian astronomer Terry Lovejoy on December 2, 2011.

Researchers listed the new find as a member of the Kreutz family of sungrazing comets. Such comets are fragments of a single giant comet that broke apart back in the 12th century (probably the Great Comet of 1106).

Kreutz sungrazers are typically small (~10 meters wide) and numerous.

NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory sees one falling into the Sun every few days.