# Comet Alert! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 8, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-alert/278650 "2004-12-08T00:31:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-alert/278650/1 "2004-12-08T00:31:07Z")
[New comet visible to the naked eye.](http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/comet_machholz_041207.html) > [@](#): > > A comet discovered earlier this year has now moved close enough to be visible without binoculars or telescopes by experienced observers under dark skies. It is expected to put on a modest show this month and into January. > > Comet Machholz will be at its closest to Earth Jan. 5-6, 2005, when it will be 32 million miles (51 million kilometers) away. > > People with dark rural skies and a good map should be able to find it on Moon-free nights now into January. > > Backyard astronomers have been watching Machholz for months through telescopes. It was spotted by naked-eye observers for the first time about three weeks ago from the Southern Hemisphere, said Donald Machholz, who discovered the frozen chunk of rock and ice in August. > > “I saw it last night for the first time with the naked eye,” Machholz told [SPACE.com](http://SPACE.com) Friday. Sweet! ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-alert/278650/2 "2004-12-08T04:18:22Z")
Cool! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-alert/278650/3 "2004-12-08T05:28:51Z")
The Master approaches!