Comet McNaught is making its way towards the Sun. Within a few days it’ll get caught up in the glare of the Sun, and might not look as good when it reappears.
Here’s what you need to do. As soon as the Sun sets, head out to an area that gives you a clear view to the West. The first star you see will be Venus. Now look down and to the right, and you should see the head of Comet McNaught almost as bright, but more diffuse. As it gets darker you should also be able to see the tail stretching up behind.
You don’t have long before the comet goes below the horizon, so don’t wait until it’s dark, go early. Drop me an email and let me know how it went for you. Oh… and send me pictures.
Thanks to Frogesque from the Bad Astronomy Universe Today Forum for the photograph.
On 9 January 2024, the Einstein probe was launched, its mission to study the night…
Anyone familiar with astronomy will know that galaxies come in a fairly limited range of…
When a spacecraft arrives at its destination, it settles into an orbit for science operations.…
The list of chemicals found in space is growing longer and longer. Astronomers have found…
The JWST is flexing its muscles with its interferometry mode. Researchers used it to study…
Brown dwarfs span the line between planets and stars. By definition, a star must be…