Introduction
Periodic Comet 220P/McNaught has become approximately 20,000 times brighter than normal following two unexpected outbursts this year. Usually visible only through a telescope, the comet can now be observed with binoculars and long-exposure photography.
Developments
The cause of the outbursts from Comet 220P, which orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter on an orbit lasting more than 5 years, is unknown.
Details
An image taken from South Africa 10 days ago showed its bright green head and short dust tail. The comet, which will come within approximately one Earth-Sun distance of Earth in October, is then expected to fade rapidly.