I'm sure there's a really obvious explanation for this....

[mshades]

But as cool as it is to see a new naked eye comet in the sky, something is bugging me about it. Usually, when a comet comes towards the sun, it forms a tail of vapor, dust and gas. This one hasn't. Not yet, anyway

Comments

[shadowcaptain]

we're actually heading straight for it. its last perihelion was may of 2007; since then it's been backing away from the sun, which makes the tail point straight behind it, from our perspective. our orbit around the sun is actually gaining on the comet for the next few weeks, relatively speaking, so we're seeing the front of the truck get a little larger, but at an angle that makes it impossible to see the trailer. (which wouldn't be very large nowadays to begin with.)

(it was bugging me too.)

[mshades]

Okay. Glad I'm not the only one....