Year of the Comet
Comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS)

PANSTARRS information

Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)

ISON information

Stephen James O'Meara's Secret Sky

Stephen James O'Meara's Secret Sky: Two great double clusters

December 2010: Perseus offers not one but two dazzling displays for observers who seek them out.
Contributed by Stephen James O'Meara
Published: October 20, 2010

Go outside on a crisp, clear mid-December night around 9 and face north. If you're under a dark sky, the Milky Way will form a long frosty trellis arching over the North Star from east to west. Despite the Milky Way's prominent position, it doesn't "punch" the eye like the summer Milky Way — it's more of a visual caress.

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