- Monday Oct 30,2006 10:16 PM
- By Mike Lopez
- In Science and Nature
» Follow me on Twitter
What had been a modest comet seen only with binoculars or telescopes flared up this week to become visible to the naked eye.
Comet SWAN, as it is called, is in the western sky after sunset from the Northern Hemisphere. It remains faint, likely not easy to find under bright city lights but pretty simple to spot from the countryside.
It is a “fairly easy naked-eye comet,” said Pete Lawrence, who photographed the comet from the UK. “The tail is now showing some interesting features too.”
Read more here - SPACE.com — Wow! Striking Green Comet Suddenly Visible in Evening Sky
The comet is dimming as you read so you better take a look at it as soon as you get the opportunity. Though the comet is visible to the naked eye, it is still best to view it at least through a pair of binoculars. Without any optical aid, the comet should look like a fuzzy greenish star. A good challenge would be to try to make out the comet’s tail without the help of telescopes or binoculars.
Here’s a starmap to help you find the comet.
Best time to look for the comet is as soon as it gets dark after sunset.
You can view images of the comet here.
» Follow me on Twitter
- Tuesday Oct 24,2006 12:29 AM
- By
- In Science and Nature
Pluto may be no more than a distant, icy rock in the minds of astronomers who stripped it of planethood, but its downgrade to a “dwarf planet” has created a teachable moment in classrooms nationwide.
Click here to read entire post
- Tuesday Oct 24,2006 12:29 AM
- By
- In Science and Nature
NASA’s goal of returning astronauts to the Moon by 2020 and pushing on to Mars will require significant strides in both understanding and warding off of hazardous space radiation, according to a report released Monday.
Click here to read entire post
- Tuesday Oct 24,2006 12:29 AM
- By
- In Science and Nature
With NASA expected to reduce expenditures on astrobiology by half in the year ahead, the SETI Institute-a major recipient of that funding-is seeking private money to help support the nearly 50 scientists it has on staff studying the origin, evolution and distribution of life in the universe.
Click here to read entire post
- Tuesday Oct 24,2006 12:29 AM
- By
- In Science and Nature
Earth’s recent warming trend might in part be due to a lack of starlight reaching our planet, scientists say.
Click here to read entire post
- Tuesday Oct 24,2006 12:24 AM
- By
- In Science and Nature
The brain responds to sickness by knocking the thermostat up a few notches to stimulate production of disease-fighting antibodies.
Click here to read entire post
- Monday Oct 23,2006 01:35 PM
- By
- In Science and Nature
Scientists have long understood what makes bubbly. But the odd behavior of tiny trains of gas beads had remained a mystery.
Click here to read entire post
- Monday Oct 23,2006 01:35 PM
- By
- In Science and Nature
The arrest of tomb robbers led archaeologists to the graves of three royal dentists, protected by a curse and hidden in the desert sands for thousands of years in the shadow of Egypt’s most ancient pyramid, officials announced Sunday.
Click here to read entire post
- Monday Oct 23,2006 01:35 PM
- By
- In Science and Nature
Trustees of the cash-strapped Academy of Natural Sciences are selling more than 15,000 minerals and gems that haven’t been cleaned or displayed for decades in a deal estimated to be worth several million dollars
Click here to read entire post
- Monday Oct 23,2006 01:35 PM
- By
- In Science and Nature
VIDEO: With its tiny fist clenched, this robot is no thicker than a dime. But watch what it can do.
Click here to read entire post