COMET LOVEJOY AND THE PLEIADES:

This is a good time to look at Comet Lovejoy, which is reaching maximum brightness as mid-January passes. Experienced observers say the comet is now shining like a star of magnitude +3.8. In other words, it is an easy target for binoculars and visible to the unaided eye from dark-sky sites. Last night, Jan. 15th, Alan Dyer of Silver City, New Mexico, photographed the comet passing by the Pleiades star cluster:

This gives backyard sky watchers a point of comparison: If you can see the Pleiades, you can probably see the comet, too.

"Comet Lovejoy's long blue ion tail has really developed nicely and now forms a photogenic pairing with the blue Pleiades," says Dyer. "I shot this using a 135mm telephoto lens to provide a wide binocular-class field of view. The next few nights are likely to be the best for Comet Lovejoy, with it now at its brightest, the tail the longest, and the sky at its darkest with no Moon. Plus we can enjoy the comet's proximity to the Pleiades. Terry Lovejoy's comet is now high in the sky at nightfall for us in the northern hemisphere. Perfect comet-viewing conditions, if your skies are clear!"

Need help finding the comet? Check these finder charts from Sky & Telescope. Also, the Minor Planet Center has published an ephemeris for accurate pointing of telescopes.    www.spaceweather.com