Comet McNaught
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I just got this in my e-mail. I can’t tell if this is a new “Comet McNaught” or a new approach by the same one we saw a couple years ago. This is a different comet than the “Comet McNaught” discovered a few years ago, but it was discovered by the same person! In any case – enjoy!
Space Weather News for June 8, 2010
http://spaceweather.comNEW COMET McNAUGHT: A fresh comet is swinging through the inner solar system, and it is brightening rapidly as it approaches Earth for a 100 million mile close encounter in mid-June. Comet McNaught (C/2009 R1) has a vivid green head and a long wispy tail that look great through small telescopes. By the end of the month it could be visible to the naked eye perhaps as bright as the stars of the Big Dipper. Because this is the comet’s first visit to the inner solar system, predictions of future brightness are necessarily uncertain; amateur astronomers should be alert for the unexpected. Visit http://spaceweather.com for sky maps, photos and more information.
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~ A l i c e !
The Comet McNaught we saw a few years ago was “C/2006 P1”. It was a non-periodic comet, so we will not see it again.
This Comet McNaught is “C/2009 R1”. It will be much dimmer (magnitude 2, as opposed to -5.5). It is also non-periodic.
Y’all are fast! Rob Sparks also just answered the question.
Thanks everyone!