Comet Holmes becomes visible
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Comet Holmes, ordinarily a rather unremarkable space wanderer that can only be seen with a telescope, can now be seen with the naked eye.
The comet threw off its cloak in late October. It had already made its closest pass to the sun and was on its way back out between Mars and Jupiter when it erupted, becoming a million times brighter.
Astronomers suspect it was either hit by a space rock or its surface cracked open, permitting the escape of internal gases.
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