Comet McNaught Heads for the Sun
Credit & Copyright: Michael Jager and Gerald Rhemann
Explanation:
Discovered in August by R. H. McNaught (Siding Spring Survey) the comet has grown bright enough to see with the unaided eye but will soon be lost in the glare of the Sun. Still, by January 11 sun-staring spacecraft SOHO should be able to offer web-based views as the comet heads toward a perihelion passage inside the orbit of Mercury. This image captures the new naked-eye comet at about 2nd magnitude in twilight skies near sunset on January 3rd. After rounding the Sun and emerging from the solar glare later this month, Comet McNaught could be even brighter.
說明:
由R. H. McNaught先生 (行星搜尋計畫, Siding Spring Survey) 在去年八月所發現的彗星，現在的亮度已經可以用肉眼見到，但很快因為晨曦而消失。 此外，藉由向著太陽的SOHO衛星的一月十一日的觀測，直接可以從 網頁上看到。當彗星朝向 近日點的軌道，在水星的軌道內。 這張照片捕抓 最新的彗星的影像，大約是兩個星等，在一月三日日出時刻的清晨天空。 在這個月底，當彗星離開近日點， 麥克諾特(McNaught)彗星 將會更亮。
資料來源: Scientific American
Department of Physics, NCKU
