From SpaceWeather.com:
Astronomers report that Comet Swan has suddenly increased in brightness 4-fold, from magnitude +6 to +4.5. This makes it a naked-eye object in dark skies and a lovely sight through backyard telescopes. The cause of the outburst: A new vein of volatile ice may have opened up in the comet’s nucleus. Solar heating transforms this freshly-exposed material into streams of bright, reflective gas and dust. Indeed, backyard telescopes seem to show new tendrils of gaseous material in the comet’s long tail.
Go to SpaceWeather for images, maps, and more information.
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