Comet McNaught

It's not very often we amateurs have an opportunity  to catch a glimpse of a passing comet.  However, we have one now.  Comet McNaught, discovered September 2009, is any icy ball of debris, probably originating from the Oort Cloud.  The comet appears to be in an open hyperbolic orbit, which means this is its first and probably last visit to the inner solar system.

The comet is expected to be fairly dim, though you will be able to see it in a small telescope or decent pair of binoculars.  Brightness is difficult to predict for comets.  There always a chance it will get brighter, perhaps bright enough to see with the naked eye in a dark sky.

 

Here's how to find it:

Around 4 AM, look ENE about 20° below Cassiopeia.  There are a line of stars pointing to the northern horizon starting with Mirach and Almaak (in Andromeda), Mirphak (in Perseus), and Capella (in Auriga).  The comet follows a path along these stars.

From June 1-7, it flies between Mirach and Almaak.  From June 13-15, just below Mirphak: this is likely the best time to see it, since the moon won’t be around to wash out the sky.  In binoculars or a small telescope, the comet will look fuzzy and with a faint and small tail.

It will get brighter as it moves closer to the Sun near the end of the month.  After June 15, it appears to sink about one degree lower in the sky each day and approaches Capella near sunrise.  At the end of June, the comet will swing behind the sun, then reappear in the southern sky briefly before it fades from view.

Leave a comment if you've had an chance to see this visitor!