when is the next comet?

Answer 1

it's hard to predict when the next bright comet will come around. there are those, of course, that are periodic-- the famous ones, like Halley's (which is due again in 2061). you pretty much have to keep your ears tuned for news on when one is coming.

Answer 2

They are not flying around all the time, as the first respondant said. I think he is confused with meteors, which are totally different phenomenon.

A good site for meteors and comets is:

http://comets.amsmeteors.org/

I note though that there are no bright comets on the record yet.

There are periodic comets like Halleys, but the surprise ones are what they call the "Long Period" comets that come in from beyond the Solar System. However, these are usually discovered long before they are visible to the likes of you and me, sometimes even two years before. However, astronomers can get some idea how bright they will be when they get closest to us.

So, keep going back to that website from time to time. If you see a "Perihelion" date (date when nearest the sun) some time in the near future, and an expected magnitude of less than 5, you will probably get to see it.

Good hunting

Answer 3

Thousands and thousands of comets are orbiting our solar system at all times. They only become visible, however, when they exhibit the familiar fireball when they travel close enough to the sun to allow for the sublimation and evaporation of substances from the surface. Far from the sun they become invisible as they have no capacity for self illumination.

If you live in the country far from city lights you can see a comet (or any other space object for that matter) with your naked eyes when it is about magnitude 5.5 or brighter (the smaller the number the brighter the object). If you use good binoculars you can see as dim as about magnitude 10. With a telescope things get even better.

The point is that given a good dark site and decent optics you should be able to pick out "ON AVERAGE" 2-10 different comets per year. Astronomers can detect a comet months or years before its closest approach (perihelion) to the sun. It is at perihelion that it will be the brightest. The problem is that history has shown that astronomers have been less than "stellar" in predicting how bright the comet will appear to us. Many people have been disappointed when the comet didn't live up to the hype. "Astronomy" and "Sky and Telescope" magazines include the positions of current comets in their monthly sky charts as do a number of web sites.

If you live in the Northern hemisphere a previous poster has identified a comet visible to you with good bino's or a telescope. For others check astro web sites.

Answer 4

Comet 177P/Barnard 2, also designated 2006M3, discovered by E.E. Barnard on June 24, 1889, has been recovered after 116 years and as of Sept 1, 2006 is brighter than expected at 8th magnitude in the constellation Draco. Perihelion was Aug. 28.

Answer 5

Comets are flying around all the time. A better question might be "Where is ______ comet?"