APOD #8 on SWAN Comet

Comet SWAN, discovered in June, 2006, brightened enough to be visible via binoculars. It was discovered in public pictures from the Solar Wind Anisotropies (SWAN) instrument that the SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory), which orbits the Sun, satellite has onboard. The comet is near magnitude 6, and is visible before dawn. It will reach its peak brightness within the week (starting Oct. 4, 2006). It passed the closet to our Sun on Oct. 2, 2006, and will be the closest to Earth near the end of the month. Its orbit is thought to be hyperbolic, so it will never return to our Solar System.