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One aspect of the Deep Impact mission has been the involvement of amateur
astronomers. Backyard observers participating in the Small Telescope
Science Program are already monitoring the comet, but activity will swing
into high gear at the time of collision on July 4th. Researchers don't
know exactly what will happen when the projectile hits, but they say the
comet could briefly brighten to 6th magnitude.

> http://SkyandTelescope.com/news/article_1437_1.asp

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS WEEK'S SKY

* First-quarter Moon on January 16-17.
* Saturn (magnitude -0.4, just past opposition in Gemini) shines brightly
in the east after nightfall.
* Moonlight returns to the evening sky this week, compromising the view of
Comet Machholz. But moonlight or no, Machholz will still be visible in
binoculars during the next two weeks, glowing at 4th magnitude and
resembling a fuzzcloud with a brighter core.

For more details, see This Week's Sky at a Glance and Planet Roundup:

> http://SkyandTelescope.com/observing/ataglance

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sail aboard the newly refurbished MV Discovery to witness April's total
solar eclipse near Polynesia. En route to and from our eclipse site we'll
visit exotic Tahiti, meet descendents of the HMS Bounty's crew on Pitcairn
Island, wander amid the mysterious stone statues of Easter Island, and
walk in the footsteps of the Inca in Peru. Add to all that the spectacular
southern sky, and you have the astronomical adventure of a lifetime.

> http://www.tq-international.com/SouthPacificTotal/SoPachome.htm

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