Comet McNaught, the brightest comet to appear in our skies in more than 30 years, has been putting on a spectacular show in the eastern sky at dawn and the western sky at dusk this week.
And this weekend it might become even more brilliant.
Ironically, the comet has also been a source of frustration for many skywatchers, because of its very low altitude. More often than not, the comet has been hidden either by clouds near the horizon, or nearby trees or buildings. For this reason, even some veteran observers have been stymied in their efforts to catch a glimpse of it.
But Comet McNaught is now also visible to armchair astronomers via images posted to the Internet from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. And beginning next week, it will head rapidly south and likely become a spectacle for skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere.
>
And this weekend it might become even more brilliant.
Ironically, the comet has also been a source of frustration for many skywatchers, because of its very low altitude. More often than not, the comet has been hidden either by clouds near the horizon, or nearby trees or buildings. For this reason, even some veteran observers have been stymied in their efforts to catch a glimpse of it.
But Comet McNaught is now also visible to armchair astronomers via images posted to the Internet from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. And beginning next week, it will head rapidly south and likely become a spectacle for skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere.
>
Evening