Tag Archives: visible in daylight

Comet McNaught is brightening so much as it nears the sun–the heat making the rocky snowball vaporize furiously–that it is becoming visible in daylight, which could make it the brightest one in centuries. Tricky to find, though, because it’s close to the sun. Spaceweather.com advises: "Go outside and stand in the shadow of a building (or billboard) so that the glare of the sun is blocked out.  Make a fist and hold it at arm’s length.  The comet is about one fist-width east of the sun." Bincoulars will allow you to see the structure within the comet’s tail, but be careful not to look at the sun. You don’t want a black (burned) spot in your eyes forever after. Comet pix here to see what you’re looking for.