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Credit: Gordon Garradd,
Loomberah NSW Australia
Explanation:
A new comet has brightened unexpectedly and is
currently visible to unaided observers of southern skies.
Comet C/2000 WM1 (LINEAR)
is now reported by some observers to be at third
magnitude, making it brighter -- although more diffuse --
than most visible stars.
A dust tail as long as
3 degrees has also been reported.
Pictured above is the center of
Comet LINEAR (WM1) taken the morning of February 1
from 300 km north of Sydney,
Australia.
A bright coma and the start of the dust tail are visible
despite a bright, nearly full Moon.
The comet has now passed its closest approach to the Sun (January) and the
Earth (December) and will
move toward northern skies as it fades.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: comet linear - Comet Linear WM1 - naked eye
Publications with words: comet linear - Comet Linear WM1 - naked eye
See also: