Have you seen Comet Lovejoy yet? Although telescopes and binoculars are still the best way to find and view the comet, it’s now barely within the limit for visibility with the unaided eye under exceptional viewing conditions. Justin Ng of Singapore took this fine photo. He wrote:
I would like to suggest an image of Comet Lovejoy that I’ve just taken on 29 December 2014 at around 12.30 AM SGT. This is a LRGB image with a total exposure time of 12 minutes. A spiral galaxy, NGC1886, is also visible in the image, located on the left of the comet’s coma.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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