Bright Comet SOHO

Discovered this month with an orbiting solar observatory, bright Comet SOHO has now emerged from the Sun's glare. This telephoto picture of the new naked-eye comet was taken by astrophotographer Michael Horn after sunset in the western twilight above Lake Samsonvale, Brisbane, Australia on May 18. The comet is seen in the constellation Orion . Its long lovely tail stretches nearly 5 degrees to the bright star Bellatrix , near the top of the image. For Southern Hemisphere comet watchers, views of Comet SOHO (1998J1) will improve as this month draws to a close and the comet climbs to the south and east on its journey outward bound . In February 1999, NASA plans to launch the Stardust mission to fly close to a comet and return samples of dust from a comet's tail .