The periodic comet (number 46P) Wirtanen is visiting us yet again. Does it about every 5 or 6 years depending on how close it gets to Jupiter. The actual nucleus is only about 3/4 of a mile in diameter, but the coma (its gas and dust envelope is currently 1.5 times the size of the Moon and it will probably get bigger still. It will be closest to Earth on this pass on 16 December at 11 million kilometers (a little more than 7 million miles. In the top 20 of close approaches since records were kept (ninth century AD). It might even make it to naked eye visibility even from Sun City. It will be visible to us Northeners beginning around 12 December and hanging in there until near the end of the month. First sighting should take place at about 5 AM on the 12th or 13th just South of the constellation Taurus.
To get more information visit Astronomy Picture of the Day www.APOD.com or www.SpaceWeather. com. It's a beautiful
shade of green. Lots of Pictuers.
There are at leasst three comets visibile from Earth right now but they all require binoculars or small telescopes. Information available at SpaceWeather.com.
