Sungrazing Comet Approaches Sun

Source - Space Weather News for Jan. 2, 2009: http://spaceweather.com

SUNGRAZING COMET: Today, a bright comet is approaching the sun for a perilous close encounter, and it probably will not survive. The comet was discovered by an amateur astronomer monitoring images from NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) has a good view of the comet's approach and images are being posted on http://spaceweather.com.

FLYBY ALERT: The International Space Station is about to begin a series of bright flybys over North America. Your iPhone or iPod Touch can help you see the behemoth spacecraft when it passes overhead in the night sky. Visit http://simpleflybys.com for information about our newest app.

FIRST METEORS OF 2010: The annual Quadrantid meteor shower peaks on Jan. 3rd around 1900 UT (2 p.m. EST) when Earth passes through a stream of debris from shattered comet 2003 EH1. The timing of this northern shower favors observers in eastern Europe and Asia. Bright moonlight will interfere with the display, which can reach 100+ meteors per hour under ideal conditions.