Okay...I'm a pretty bright chick and when I get a notion of something I want to do... I get froggy. What does that mean? Well it means that currently I know enough to know that I know nothing about comets yet I know that I want to see one. Can I assume then that when one is making its way within sight of the Northern Hemisphere it will be plastered all over the internet news, msn.com, etc. and then I can google where to look in the skies?
2007-03-22 09:28:46 · 7 answers · asked by Scadle 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Yes, you can assume that. The best websites for advance notice would be space.com and skyandtelescope.com. The mainstream news is likely to pick up on the more spectacular comets but it may not make big headlines until the comet is already visible. Websites more geared to astronomy will be buzzing with anticipation long before that and will certainly provide detailed information of exactly where and when to look.
2007-03-22 09:37:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No -- don't assume that it will be plastered all over the news. If you have a telescope there are usually a couple a month visible. With binoculars, you can see quite a few that won't make the news. If you want a naked eye comet, you'll hear about it in the news but those are once every few years.
Go the the sky and telescope site and they will have a section about what's in the sky and they'll list the comets that can be viewed now
2007-03-22 10:37:53 · answer #2 · answered by Gene 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best instrument an amateur can get for comet watching is a good pair of binoculars. Then you will see new comets perhaps a month or two before everybody else.
The point is that even if you can get to see the star maps with the comets plotted on it, you have to know your way around the sky. That only comes from a commitment to astronomy as a hobby. Are you prepared for that?
2007-03-22 09:55:27 · answer #3 · answered by nick s 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, when a comet is discovered that is easily visible, it is widely announced. One good site to look at is http://skytonight.com/. Enter "comet" in the query field and look at the list of articles that come up. If there are any visible comets you will see an article about it that includes a sky map.
2007-03-22 12:51:40 · answer #4 · answered by Astronomer1980 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should be able to find out about when and where to look for comets on the web. Google might work. The source is another possible place to look.
2007-03-22 11:28:44 · answer #5 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you don't. it finds you.
or you can track comets via the weather channel, they usually have tracking links whenever a comet is in view.
www.weatherchannel.com
2007-03-22 09:35:53 · answer #6 · answered by Super G 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
with the help of a telescope.
2007-03-22 10:53:17 · answer #7 · answered by neutron 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋