Comet McNaught brightest in thirty years
Look, up in the sky! It's a … why it's a comet! And it's now the brightest comet in 30 years. Tonight (Jan 10) is a great night to check it out, it should even be visible to the naked eye. From the SpaceWeather.com email newsletter:
Comet McNaught has continued to brighten as it approaches the sun and it is now the brightest comet in 30 years. For observers in the northern Hemisphere, tonight is probably the best time to see it: Go outside this evening and face the sunset. A clear view of the western horizon is essential, because the comet hangs very low. As the twilight fades to black, it should become visible to the naked eye. Observers say it's a fantastic sight through binoculars.
In the days ahead, Comet McNaught will pass the sun and emerge in good position for southern hemisphere viewing later this month. Meanwhile, solar heating will continue to puff up the comet, causing it to brighten even more. It could become one of the brightest comets in centuries, visible even in daylit skies.
Picture courtesy www.spaceweather.com.
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[…] Comet McNaught (see our original story here) is so bright now as it passes through perihelion — that is to say closest to the sun — that observers around the world are reporting that it is visble during the day time. Accoring to SpaceWeather.com: Solar heat is causing the comet to vaporize furiously and brighten to daylight visibility. At magnitude -4 to -5, McNaught is the brightest comet since Ikeya-Seki in 1965. […]
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