Late Oct 2010: A Close Encounter with a Comet

Comet Hartley 2 will pass to within 11.2 million miles of the Earth on Oct. 20, just a week before it makes its closest pass by the sun. It will be as bright as magnitude +4 or +5 – from rural locations. The comet will be a morning object, racing rapidly southeast through the stars of Auriga and Gemini.