[MIham] Denver Fireball and a Hot Comet

[Frank]

Space Weather News for Jan. 4, 2007
http://www.spaceweather.com

DENVER FIREBALL:  A spectacular fireball streaked over Denver, Colorado,
this morning.  Observers described it as "brilliant, slow, twinkling,
sparkly and full of rainbow colors."  Contrary to some reports, it was not a
Quadrantid meteor.  It was the decaying body of a Russian rocket that
launched the French COROT space telescope on Dec. 27th. Links to video and a
ground track may be found at http://spaceweather.com.

HOT COMET:  Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) is plunging toward the Sun. It won't
hit, but at closest approach on Jan. 13th it will be much closer to the Sun
than the planet Mercury. The comet will experience fierce heating and it
could brighten considerably, emerging from the encounter brighter than a 1st
magnitude star.

For the next few mornings, northerners can see Comet McNaught before it
disappears into the Sun's glare.  It's an easy target for binoculars hanging
low in the eastern sky at sunrise. After Jan. 11th, only SOHO (the Solar and
Heliospheric Observatory) will be able to track the comet as it angles
toward the bright Sun.  SOHO images are posted in near-real time on the
Internet, so you can watch the comet-sun encounter and see what happens.

Visit http://Spaceweather.com for observing tips and more information.

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