When viewed through a small telescope, the comet's motion should be obvious within 15 minutes. Except where noted, all maps are drawn for 42° N latitude. This map shows the comet's daily position at 6 a.m. Chambó Bris Comet Catalina passes very close to Arcturus, the brightest star in Boötes, on the first morning of 2016. North is up, and the field of view is 4.7° x 3.1°. A short, thick dust tail pokes out below the coma, while a long, twisty ion tail reflects the influence of gusty solar winds. This spectacular image of Comet Catalina was taken on December 21, 2015, before moonlight encroached on morning skies. CST (12:00 UT), the twin-tailed comet will zip less than 1/2° west of the star, clipping along at nearly 2° per day (4.5′ per hour). Comet Catalina, currently at magnitude +6–6.5 and easily visible in ordinary binoculars under a dark sky, makes a spectacular pass of the brilliant star Arcturus on New Year's Day. Comet lovers will have few distractions.Īt least we're in good hands going into the new year, with one binocular and two small-telescope comets on offer. If there's a bright comet waiting to be discovered, 2016 would be the perfect year for it. Two may climb to magnitude +7, but the others will be at least a magnitude fainter. I wanted the title to read "bright" comets in 2016, but while the coming year has its share of interesting comets, including the bright leftover, Catalina (C/2013 US10), no returning comets are expected to approach the naked-eye limit. Four comets equaled or exceeded 6th magnitude - the naked-eye limit - in 2015: MASTER (C/2015 G2), at magnitude +6 Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2), magnitude +5 PanSTARRS (C/2014 Q1), magnitude +5 and Catalina (C/2013 US10), magnitude +6. Binoculars or a telescope will be needed over the next week with the waxing moon.A look ahead to new and returning comets in 2016. No one expects comet Lovejoy to become brilliant and sky-spanning, but on a moonless night it may be visible with the unaided eye. Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory states Comet Lovejoy will reach its closest position to Earth on January 7, at a distance of about 70.2 million kilometres away. The comet's direction is from south to north of the ecliptic, the planetary plane of rotation, and has been growing more visible to southern hemisphere viewers in recent weeks. It is expected back again in the year 2550.Ĭomet Lovejoy is going to pass planet earth next week, providing some of the best viewing for those watching from the southern hemisphere. That's about half way from Earth to Mars. It was at perihelion, the closest the green comet gets to the sun this time round, on December 16 at a distance of about 1.29 AU. There's a green comet passing by planet earth at the moment, on its first visit to the inner solar system for more than five hundred years, and it may be able to be seen by the naked eye this week.Ĭomet Lovejoy imaged on November 27th by Gerald Rhemann in Austria using a remotely operated 12-inch f/3.6 astrograph in Namibia.Ĭomet Lovejoy, named after its discoverer Australian astronomer Terry Lovejoy, is called a sun grazer.
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