Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Comet 2007/E2 Lovejoy at Perihelion
Comet Lovejoy chart, use in conjunction with previous charts. Stars to mag 9 shown, circle is field of view of 10x50 binoculars, click to enlarge.Comet Lovejoy was at perihelion yesterday. The comet is steadily brightening and is around magnitude 8.5. It is potentially seeable using 10x50 binoculars at the moment. I'm off to the Flinders Ranges next weekend, so I'll have a good hunt for it then (currently clouded out but getting much needed rain). The comets closest approach to Earth is in about a months time, with maximum magnitude of between 8-7.5. You can see a predicted light curve and charts here. Rolando Ligustri has posted a nice image here showing a dust tail, in this image the dust tail seems fan shaped, and in Dave Herald's image the tail seems bifurcated. For you added pleasure, there is an orbit simulation up at the JPL NEO site.
# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 8:18 am 
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