CLOSE CALL KEEPS COMET WATCHERS IN THE DARK

If you've been kept in the dark lately, you've probably already seen Comet Hyakutake, the latest celestial discovery.

It should be at its brightest tonight, visible to the naked eye.

Craig Joseph, an astronomer at Southeast Missouri State University, will set up telescopes for public viewing at Cherokee Park from 9-11 p.m. through Tuesday.

The park is located just east of Perryville Road a little past its intersection with Cape Rock Drive.

Seeing a comet isn't a once-in-a-lifetime event, but this comet is somewhat unusual. First seen more than 250 million miles from Earth, the comet will come within about nine million miles of the planet during its orbit.

"It's fairly unusual for a comet to come so close to the Earth so soon after its discovery," Joseph said, adding that it was first discovered in January.

No professional scientist can claim its discovery, either. Comet Hyakutake was found by an amateur astronomer, whose name it bears. It is the second comet to be discovered in about two months.

About 12 comets are discovered each year although billions exist in the solar system. Many of the discoveries are made by amateur astronomers who systematically scan the skies looking for something new. "You have to do it with a passion," said Joseph, who is yet to discover one himself.

Billions of comets are orbiting the sun like planets but haven't been seen by human eyes. "We know their orbits from the ones we do see," he said.

When seen by a telescope, comets don't look like stars or planets. "It's a little fuzzy thing with a faint glow," Joseph said.

The faint glow is the comet's tail. It grows larger as the comet nears the sun. The warmth of the sun causes some of the icy comet to melt, thus creating a tail. The reflection of the sun's light helps make the comet more visible as it crosses through the sky.

"Comets are very simple to understand," Joseph said. "It's nothing more than a big chunk of ice, although it's a little more than just your garden-variety water."

The core of a comet is a mixture of carbon dioxide, ice and dust particles and resembles a dirty iceberg, Joseph said. The more dust particles it collects, the larger it becomes. Comet Hyakutake is about six miles in diameter.

It is probably the brightest comet to be seen in 20 years, Joseph said. It can be seen just below the handle of the Big Dipper constellation tonight. By Tuesday night, it will be almost due north and will be visible all night.

If you don't see the comet by Tuesday, it's likely you've missed it completely. Comet Hyakutake won't return for another 16,000 years.

But don't fret, a lunar eclipse is expected April 3.

"What's unique in Cape Girardeau is that as (the moon) rises, it's already in shadow," Joseph said.

With about two lunar eclipses each year, they are more common than comet sightings.