NEAT Comet Crossing: Internet Telescopes

An anonymous reader writes "During a large solar coronal mass ejection, this week's NEAT Comet crossing, gave some spectacular film footage. While no comet with such a small nucleus has ever survived that kind of close solar approach (one-fourth of Mercury's orbit) without fragmenting, this one did-- and is now outward bound on its 370 century roundtrip. These new comet discoveries have filled the log files of the now 70 big robotic telescope projects, most of which are being connected to the internet. The largest ($3 M) research-class one for public use--the Hawaiian Faulkes Project--will see first light in 45 days."

Comments

For the southern hemisphere

[jesterzog]

It's worth pointing out that if you live south of the equator (especially New Zealand, Australia, Southern Africa, parts of South America, etc), you should be able to see the comet within a few days from now after sunset.

It's been approaching the Sun through the northern sky until it swung around to the other side, and now it's moving away in the southern hemisphere skies. It's getting fainter every night, so by the time it's far enough from the Sun to see, it's likely you'll at least need binoculars and have to look quite carefully.