Comet Swan, A Jewel In The Night Sky

Elaine Meinel Supkis

Just my luck. This fall is very cloudy up here in New York and we have an unexpected and interesting comet passing by and I can't see it at all. I hope other people can enjoy it! Look west after sunset to Hercules and watch out for his club, he has a fey temper.

A lovely new comet has unexpectedly appeared.

Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
SPACE.com Thu Oct 26, 5:15 PM ET
Updated 5 p.m. ET

What had been a modest comet seen only with binoculars or telescopes flared up this week to become visible to the naked eye [images].

Comet Swan, as it is called, is in the western sky after sunset from the Northern Hemisphere. It remains faint, likely not easy to find under bright city lights but pretty simple to spot from the countryside.

It is a "fairly easy naked-eye comet," said Pete Lawrence, who photographed the comet from the UK. "The tail is now showing some interesting features too."

UPDATE: Late Thursday, however, Lawrence reported that the comet already may be getting dimmer. It is not clear what skywatchers should expect of this comet.

Each comet is as individual as different children in a family. As singular as snowflakes. Each one is even more special because they are made up of virtually any combination of materials, we are constantly surprised by their variety. All of the galaxy we call 'the Milky Way' has such stuff, these are being all sucked in by the massive black hole that churns away at the center of the galaxy.

Our own star's shining power pushes small things away from the inner orbits unlike way back at the beginning when our planet and everything around it was pelted with a massive storm of meteorites and comets billions of years ago give or take a few hundred thousand years.

This one is a lovely emerald color and in some photos, a brilliant saffire.

It is a gem in the dark night sky and I can't see it! Rats.

Please do enjoy it, I hope it is shining tomorrow night but even then, I will be denied the pleasure of seeing it for it will be raining cats and dogs by then yet again.

Sigh.

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