Bright Comet in the Sky

If you haven't been paying attention, there's currently a very bright comet visible in the evening sky. 

Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) is approaching the sun, and has really brightened in the past week.  A few weeks ago, you would have needed a pair of binoculars or a telescope to see it, but now, it pops out of the western sky even before the sky is completely dark! 

The last comet that I was able to see was Hale-Bopp, and I remember that to be pretty bright.  McNaught is supposedly brighter!  In fact, only Venus shines brighter at the moment, and they say that this is currently the brightest comet in 30 years.

Today is really the first day that we have sunshine in Toledo, so I'm hoping to be somewhere with a view of the western horizon when the sun sets this evening.  However, I don't know if being at the Ann Arbor IT Zone to hear about Windows Workflow Foundation would necessarily qualify...  Maybe tomorrow...

UPDATE: We've been cloudy and rainy here ever since I wrote this.  However, SpaceWeather.com has been running a series of articles stating that you can see this comet during the day!  The caveat being that you first must stand in a shadow to block out the glare of the sun, and then search about 5 degrees above the sun (roughly the size of your fist when held at arm's length from your eye) for the bright head (which will likely appear dim because of the blue sky surrounding it).  Supposedly, the tail can also be seen during the daytime, too, once you locate the comet.  I'll be sure to try this, if the clouds ever disappear.

Look for Auroras Tonight and Tomorrow

We're currently at the Solar Minimum, or the point in the 11-year solar cycle where the Sun doesn't really do too much.  However, there has been some strong activity over the past few days that have caused geomagnetic storming here on Earth.

A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) passed by Earth yesterday, which started a strong GM storm.  This resulted in the Northern Lights being seen in lower Michigan and Ohio, and possibly even further away.

Another CME that resulted from a X1 solar flare on Dec 14 will reach our planet some time in the next day.  This will most likely enhance the storm levels again to the Strong, Severe, or possibly even Extreme levels.

For those of us not worried about keeping satellites in orbit, or maintaining a working electric power grid, this usually means that we can go somewhere dark (away from city lights) and look to the North for an absolutely beautiful display of nature.  Be advised that during particularly strong storms, you may need to look up, or even to the South (depending on your latitude) because the Auroras would have been pushed that far away from the magnetic poles.

Disclaimer: I have seen instances where an incoming CME completely halts all GM activity, so don't be surprised if nothing at all happens.  It's important to be patient when hunting the Aurora.  It's well worth the wait if you find an active display in session.