A new 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 looks 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 Ursa Major. 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.
Orbital Elements and an Ephemeris are available here from the IAU.
The comet was discovered by British-Australian astronomer Robert H. McNaught in September 2009. After the discovery, earlier images of the comet were found from July 20, August 1, and August 18, 2009. C/2009 R1 is expected to eventually reach a brightness as high as magnitude 2 from June 30 to July 2, 2010, the latter date marking perihelion; however, as it brightens it may become more difficult to see, because it will only be visible near the horizon at dawn and dusk.
The comet is notable for its “impressive green coma and long ion tail”, which spanned 5 degrees as of June 6, 2010. Because it has an estimated eccentricity over 1.0, suggesting a hyperbolic trajectory, it is believed C/2009 R1 will leave the Solar System permanently.
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