Astroblog

C/2019 Q4  (Borisov) as seen at  Astronomical Twilight  in the morning on 19 September from Mayhill, New Mexico. The Comet is between iota Cancerii and  Kappa Leo then moves towards  Regulus. Click to embiggen.	C/2019 Q4  (Borisov) as seen at  Nautical twilight in the morning  on 19 September from Siding Springs, Australia. The Comet is between iota Cancerii and  Kappa Leo then moves towards  Regulus. Click to embiggen.

Putative interstellar  comet C/2019 Q4  (Borisov) unlike  'Oumuamua, was found well before it passed the sun, so there is an excellent opportunity to observe this fascinating comet. Also unlike 'Oumuamua there is clear signs of cometary activity, with a coma and tail already visible. We also have the first spectrum of our visitor, and it resembles solar system comets.

C/2019 Q4  (Borisov) is currently magnitude 18 but will brighten up to magnitude 15.6, a reasonable target for amateurs with serious equipment and long exposures. The comet is at perihelion on 7 December, 2019 and has its closest approach to the Earth on 29 December at around 2AU.The comet is currently in Cancer heading towards Leo.

C/2019 Q4  (Borisov) is visible from the Northern hemisphere just before astronomical twilight in the morning.In the Southern hemisphere it is too low above the horizon at nautical twilight to image. Soon it will be too close to the sun to image from any hemisphere  This will change towards the end of October early December when the Southern hemisphere is favoured.


The MPC one line ephemeris is:

   CK19Q040  2019 12 08.1199  2.024442  3.431584  208.7126  308.3073   43.8899  20190427  11.0  4.0      C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)

Ephemeris of comet C/2019 Q4 Borisov SSO

Date         Ast Twi Rise     Transit   Top R.A.     Top Dec      Set      Ast Twi End 
19 Sep 2019 04:46:27 04:53:11 09:30:26 09h 04m 27.3s +27° 41' 20" 14:08:11 19:33:36 
21 Sep 2019 04:43:27 04:46:25 09:26:16 09h 08m 09.8s +26° 59' 45" 14:06:36 19:35:12 
23 Sep 2019 04:40:26 04:39:39 09:22:06 09h 11m 53.4s +26° 16' 57" 14:05:05 19:36:49 
25 Sep 2019 04:37:22 04:32:51 09:17:57 09h 15m 36.9s +25° 33' 00" 14:03:35 19:38:29 
27 Sep 2019 04:34:18 04:26:01 09:13:47 09h 19m 20.1s +24° 47' 53" 14:02:06 19:40:12 
29 Sep 2019 04:31:13 04:19:09 09:09:37 09h 23m 02.9s +24° 01' 35" 14:00:39 19:41:57 
01 Oct 2019 04:28:08 04:12:15 09:05:27 09h 26m 45.4s +23° 14' 02" 13:59:13 19:43:44 
03 Oct 2019 04:25:01 04:05:19 09:01:16 09h 30m 27.6s +22° 25' 15" 13:57:48 19:45:35 
05 Oct 2019 04:21:55 03:58:20 08:57:05 09h 34m 09.3s +21° 35' 10" 13:56:25 19:47:28 
07 Oct 2019 04:18:48 03:51:20 08:52:54 09h 37m 50.6s +20° 43' 47" 13:55:04 19:49:24 
09 Oct 2019 04:15:42 03:44:17 08:48:42 09h 41m 31.6s +19° 51' 04" 13:53:44 19:51:22 
11 Oct 2019 04:12:36 03:37:12 08:44:30 09h 45m 12.0s +18° 56' 59" 13:52:25 19:53:24 
13 Oct 2019 04:09:30 03:30:04 08:40:17 09h 48m 52.1s +18° 01' 31" 13:51:08 19:55:29 
15 Oct 2019 04:06:26 03:22:53 08:36:04 09h 52m 31.7s +17° 04' 37" 13:49:53 19:57:36 
17 Oct 2019 04:03:23 03:15:40 08:31:50 09h 56m 10.8s +16° 06' 17" 13:48:39 19:59:47 
19 Oct 2019 04:00:21 03:08:25 08:27:36 09h 59m 49.5s +15° 06' 29" 13:47:28 20:02:02 
21 Oct 2019 03:57:21 03:01:06 08:23:21 10h 03m 27.7s +14° 05' 12" 13:46:18 20:04:19 
23 Oct 2019 03:54:24 02:53:44 08:19:06 10h 07m 05.4s +13° 02' 25" 13:45:10 20:06:40 
25 Oct 2019 03:51:28 02:46:20 08:14:50 10h 10m 42.6s +11° 58' 08" 13:44:05 20:09:03 
27 Oct 2019 03:48:36 02:38:52 08:10:34 10h 14m 19.2s +10° 52' 18" 13:43:01 20:11:30 
29 Oct 2019 03:45:46 02:31:21 08:06:17 10h 17m 55.2s +09° 44' 57" 13:42:00 20:14:00 
31 Oct 2019 03:43:00 02:23:46 08:02:00 10h 21m 30.5s +08° 36' 03" 13:41:00 20:16:32 
02 Nov 2019 03:40:18 02:16:08 07:57:42 10h 25m 05.3s +07° 25' 37" 13:40:04 20:19:06 
04 Nov 2019 03:37:39 02:08:26 07:53:23 10h 28m 39.4s +06° 13' 38" 13:39:09 20:21:43 
06 Nov 2019 03:35:05 02:00:40 07:49:04 10h 32m 12.8s +05° 00' 08" 13:38:18 20:24:22 
08 Nov 2019 03:32:36 01:52:50 07:44:44 10h 35m 45.6s +03° 45' 07" 13:37:29 20:27:02 
10 Nov 2019 03:30:12 01:44:56 07:40:23 10h 39m 17.7s +02° 28' 37" 13:36:43 20:29:44 
12 Nov 2019 03:27:53 01:36:58 07:36:01 10h 42m 49.1s +01° 10' 38" 13:36:00 20:32:26 
14 Nov 2019 03:25:41 01:28:55 07:31:39 10h 46m 19.8s -00° 08' 46" 13:35:20 20:35:09 
16 Nov 2019 03:23:34 01:20:47 07:27:17 10h 49m 49.8s -01° 29' 35" 13:34:44 20:37:53 

Ephemeris of comet C/2019 Q4 Borisov Mayhill 

Date         Ast Twi Rise     Transit   Top R.A.     Top Dec      Set      Ast Twi End
19 Sep 2019 04:25:21 01:54:21 09h 05m 44.2s +27° 27' 05" 09:15:25 16:35:43 19:25:37 
21 Sep 2019 04:26:50 01:52:38 09h 09m 26.7s +26° 45' 07" 09:11:14 16:29:06 19:22:43 
23 Sep 2019 04:28:18 01:50:57 09h 13m 10.3s +26° 01' 56" 09:07:05 16:22:28 19:19:51 
25 Sep 2019 04:29:45 01:49:18 09h 16m 53.6s +25° 17' 35" 09:02:56 16:15:48 19:17:01 
27 Sep 2019 04:31:12 01:47:40 09h 20m 36.7s +24° 32' 04" 08:58:46 16:09:06 19:14:13 
29 Sep 2019 04:32:38 01:46:03 09h 24m 19.4s +23° 45' 20" 08:54:36 16:02:22 19:11:27 
01 Oct 2019 04:34:04 01:44:28 09h 28m 01.8s +22° 57' 22" 08:50:25 15:55:37 19:08:44 
03 Oct 2019 04:35:29 01:42:54 09h 31m 43.8s +22° 08' 08" 08:46:15 15:48:49 19:06:03 
05 Oct 2019 04:36:54 01:41:21 09h 35m 25.4s +21° 17' 37" 08:42:03 15:42:00 19:03:26 
07 Oct 2019 04:38:19 01:39:49 09h 39m 06.6s +20° 25' 46" 08:37:52 15:35:08 19:00:51 
09 Oct 2019 04:39:43 01:38:19 09h 42m 47.4s +19° 32' 35" 08:33:40 15:28:14 18:58:20 
11 Oct 2019 04:41:07 01:36:50 09h 46m 27.7s +18° 38' 01" 08:29:27 15:21:18 18:55:53 
13 Oct 2019 04:42:32 01:35:22 09h 50m 07.6s +17° 42' 04" 08:25:14 15:14:19 18:53:29 
15 Oct 2019 04:43:56 01:33:56 09h 53m 47.0s +16° 44' 40" 08:21:01 15:07:18 18:51:09 
17 Oct 2019 04:45:21 01:32:31 09h 57m 26.0s +15° 45' 50" 08:16:47 15:00:15 18:48:54 
19 Oct 2019 04:46:47 01:31:08 10h 01m 04.6s +14° 45' 32" 08:12:33 14:53:09 18:46:43 
21 Oct 2019 04:48:13 01:29:47 10h 04m 42.6s +13° 43' 44" 08:08:18 14:46:00 18:44:37 
23 Oct 2019 04:49:39 01:28:28 10h 08m 20.1s +12° 40' 26" 08:04:03 14:38:49 18:42:35 
25 Oct 2019 04:51:07 01:27:10 10h 11m 57.1s +11° 35' 37" 07:59:47 14:31:35 18:40:39 
27 Oct 2019 04:52:35 01:25:54 10h 15m 33.5s +10° 29' 16" 07:55:30 14:24:18 18:38:47 
29 Oct 2019 04:54:03 01:24:40 10h 19m 09.3s +09° 21' 22" 07:51:13 14:16:58 18:37:01 
31 Oct 2019 04:55:33 01:23:27 10h 22m 44.4s +08° 11' 57" 07:46:56 14:09:34 18:35:21 
02 Nov 2019 04:57:02 01:22:17 10h 26m 19.0s +07° 00' 59" 07:42:37 14:02:08 18:33:46 
04 Nov 2019 04:58:33 01:21:09 10h 29m 52.8s +05° 48' 29" 07:38:18 13:54:37 18:32:17 
06 Nov 2019 05:00:04 01:20:03 10h 33m 26.0s +04° 34' 27" 07:33:59 13:47:04 18:30:54 
08 Nov 2019 05:01:36 01:19:00 10h 36m 58.6s +03° 18' 55" 07:29:38 13:39:26 18:29:36 
10 Nov 2019 05:03:08 01:17:58 10h 40m 30.4s +02° 01' 54" 07:25:18 13:31:45 18:28:26 
12 Nov 2019 05:04:40 01:17:00 10h 44m 01.6s +00° 43' 26" 07:20:56 13:24:00 18:27:21 
14 Nov 2019 05:06:13 01:16:04 10h 47m 32.1s -00° 36' 28" 07:16:34 13:16:11 18:26:23 
16 Nov 2019 05:07:46 01:15:11 10h 51m 01.8s -01° 57' 45" 07:12:10 13:08:17 18:25:31 

Labels: comet, iTelescope