Here's a last look at Comet Leonard, which has completed its swing around our sun and is now headed out of the solar system. You can really see the colors in this image, the green coma surrounding the head of the comet, and the blues in the tail.
Researchers at the University of New South Wales found that the green color that surrounds the heads of some comets is caused by the reaction between diatomic carbon—a highly reactive form of carbon found in stars and comets—in the comet's coma and the ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The blue color in the tail comes from carbon monoxide.
Image Credit and Copyright: Blake Estes (itelescope.net)
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