Another "NEAT" Comet

In my last column I talked about the appearance of Comet LINEAR in our skies. Now it's time to turn our attention to the second one of these icy visitors to wander into our local neighborhood. This one is called Comet C/2000 Q4 NEAT. From the beginning of April though early May, Comet NEAT has been a prominent southern hemisphere object. Now its orbit will cause it to migrate into the skies of the northern hemisphere for us to observe.

You should begin looking for Comet NEAT above the southwestern horizon at dusk on or about May 4. At that time it will still be very low in the sky during evening twilight. Again, when it is this low and within a bright dusky sky, binoculars may be needed to detect it. Depending upon how bright NEAT has become, you might even be able to locate it with the naked-eye.

Each night NEAT will rise higher and higher on an arc that takes it further north, eventually appearing almost due west about 50 degrees off the horizon by May 20 or so. With the comet quickly rising out of the bright twilight and into a darker sky, the increasing contrast and higher sky position should make NEAT an easy target. Of course during those first few days of May, with NEAT so near the horizon, you'll need an unobstructed view to maximize your chances of observing it. Any cloud cover will obviously cause observing difficulties.

To find NEAT during the latter part of the first week in May, find the bright star Sirius in the southwest sky. The comet will be a little further to the south (left). Comet NEAT will be fading daily, and the hopefully long and prominent tail will also continue to shorten and fade. Those of you who have telescopes will be able to continue to observe this comet for some time as it recedes to the icy regions of the outer solar system from whence it came.

Will Comet NEAT also survive its encounter with the Sun? Like many first time comets before it, NEAT could break apart. If that should happen to NEAT and/or LINEAR, we could have more than two comets in the western sky at the same time. Wouldn't that be exciting!!

Yes, LINEAR will join NEAT in the west-southwest sky from late May though mid-June. Two bright comets within a small region of the sky!! That doesn't happen very often! Will both be visible to the naked-eye at the same time? You know the drill about the predictability of comet behavior. I can only say I hope so.

Two comets at once!! This would be an opportune time to get out your cameras, both film and digital, and attempt to capture an image. If you get something good, send them to the Skyscraper website. LINEAR will remain within 12 degrees of the horizon, while NEAT will climb higher and higher into the western sky.

At the time I prepared this column for publication, Comet NEAT was behaving as predicted, so it should attain naked-eye visibility if all goes well. NEAT is closest to the Earth on May 6 (29,840,197 miles). On May 15th, it's at its closest to the Sun (89,427,631 miles). The coma or head, and the tail are comprised of ice, dust and gas particles sandblasted off the comet's surface by the solar wind, a stream of particles from the sun. Like LINEAR, this is Comet NEAT's first encounter with the sun. Anything can happen. It could be bright. It could fizzle. It could fragment into pieces. Time will tell.

Don't forget, if you can't see NEAT or LINEAR with your naked-eye., then try a pair of binoculars. After you've located it, you may then get it in view of a telescope if you've got one. The view could be quite stunning.

In conclusion, remember that anything is possible with comets. Don't take anything for granted. Surf the web for up-to-date information on both these interlopers. Be proactive and research whether they are performing as predicted, or if they undergo some major transformation. I will try to get the word out though this media if any of the observing scenarios change. Enjoy the cosmic snowballs gracing our skies this spring.

Remember, Seagrave Memorial Observatory on Peeptoad Road in North Scituate is open to the public on any clear Saturday night. Come out and visit us once the sky darkens enough to see the stars. Our members will be happy to share their love of the sky with you. More information, including directions and membership, can be found at our website: (www.theskyscrapers.org). Our website can also link you to a Sky And Telescope article about Comet NEAT and LINEAR, including graphics to help you locate the comets.

Two last comments. Forget about the Eta Aquarid meteor shower on the night of May 5-6. The Moon is full on the 4th, so all but the brightest of the meteors will be washed out. And finally, coming in early June, an event that no one alive has ever witnessed -- the transit of the planet Venus across the face of the Sun. The last time it occurred was 122 years ago. My June column will present the history of this event and how one can safely observe it.

As always, keep your eyes to the skies.