SPACE.com -- Newly Spotted Comet Visible in Small Telescopes

CLOSE-UP: Find the comet with a small telescope using this map. The comet's locations are shown as of 5 a.m. from mid-northern latitudes, from Dec. 18-31.

The general location of comet C/2002 X5 in the northeastern morning sky, as seen from mid-northern latitudes at 5 a.m. on Dec. 18. Stars do not change positions significantly on surrounding nights, so this map can serve now through the end of the month.

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	Newly Spotted Comet Visible in Small Telescopes By Robert Roy Britt Senior Science Writer posted: 07:53 am ET 17 December 2002

A comet recently discovered by an amateur astronomer can be spotted with small backyard telescopes and even binoculars in the pre-dawn sky.

The comet, named C/2002 X5, was found Dec. 14 by Tetuo Kudo of Japan. It is currently shining at about eighth or ninth magnitude on a scale used by astronomers to denote brightness.

(Lower numbers represent brighter objects. The dimmest objects visible to the naked eye are around sixth magnitude for viewers with dark skies away from all sources of city and local lighting. The brightest objects shine at near zero or even negative magnitudes.)

Here's what viewer's can expect this week:

"The comet is not expected to brighten to much beyondseventh magnitude and likely will appear only as a circular fuzz-ball in smalltelescopes," said Joe Rao, SPACE.com's backyard astronomy columnist.

The Moon, which reaches its full phase Dec. 19, will light up the sky and "almost certainly hinder views of any possible tail that may develop," Rao said.

The comet is expected to brighten further in January when it gets closer to the Sun, according to projections made by the Minor Planet Center, which catalogues newfound comets and asteroids.

At that time, it is possible the comet will become visible to the unaided eye, but astronomers are not yet sure.

Comets develop heads and tails because as they approach the Sun, some of their outer material is boiled into space, and the material reflects sunlight. All comets orbit the Sun, and those that pass through the inner solar system are typically on long, elliptical paths that bring them very close to the Sun before they swing well out into the solar system again.

The comet C/2002 X5 will pass within the orbit of Mercury, the innermost planet, in January. However, by the time it brightens significantly it may be too close to the Sun to be easily seen, instead rising at dawn and near the Sun.

"Since the comet has only been under observation for a few days, we really can't be too certain yet as to how bright it will become," Rao said. "Unfortunately, however, even if it does become quite bright it likely will become masked by the glare of the Sun by later in January.

When the comet swings around the Sun and emerges back into view in late February, it will only be visible from the Southern Hemisphere, in the evening sky. By then it may be fading in brightness, Rao said.

Experienced amateur astronomers can find orbital informationon C/2002 X5 here.

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