Latest Picture of Comet Elenin, STEREO-B Will Capture First Today

Soooo.... as I was watching the video feed on STEREO for this, I saw something moving in it. Bouncing really. Any ideas? Just a glitch or something? Why is it the only object that is bouncing though?

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c9b03bb58869.jpg[/atsimg]

Nothing there but light distortion from so few pixels in the image, pixel averaging is built into all compression methods, some better than others but you are not going to see anything in this pixel count but compression, distortion and neighbor luminescence.

From Gustavo Muler ..
2011-08-02

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ff5ddf7936c6.png[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/e528c374d2fe.png[/atsimg]

Gallery here ..

www.observadores-cometas.com...



Diameter of coma of comet Elenin exceeded 200,000 km

o, the first results. The comet has grown. Now the diameter of it’s outer coma exceeded 200,000 km! Of course, at this time we have only low resolution images, but they still allow us to estimateits current size. I want to remind you that the outer coma, it’s very discharged gas envelope, not the nucleus itself, estimates of the nucleus size has not changed. On the left picture you can see the comet itself, as well as the angular size of the Sun, if it was located at the same distance as comet.

spaceobs.org...

Arn´t there supposed to be some more stereo B images released today?

haha I actually JUST signed up to ask that very same question. has there been any word on or release of "official" nasa images? with stereo B so close, you'd think they would have some very good images taken..

reply to post by Dalke07


thank you for that link! incredible stuff..

If the coma were to remain the same size as it approached the sun, we could be looking at an object 2/3 the size of the moon in the sky.

reply to post by KSprepared

If the coma were to remain the same size as it approached the sun, we could be looking at an object 2/3 the size of the moon in the sky.

If it's bright enough to be seen. C/2010X-1 does not appear to be a very active comet.

Comet(?) Elenin began crossing our orbit yesterday 8/3/11.
You can view the NASA JPL Elenin Orbit Tracker page to see for yourself.

So, the first results. The comet has grown. Now the diameter of it’s outer coma exceeded 200,000 km! Of course, at this time we have only low resolution images, but they still allow us to estimateits current size. I want to remind you that the outer coma, it’s very discharged gas envelope, not the nucleus itself, estimates of the nucleus size has not changed. ~ Leonid Elenin 8/4/11

Elenin's coma is now the size of Comet McNaught's inner coma when that one came by in 2007. Elenin's closest approach to Earth is on Oct.16 and if there's debris, we'll be passing through that on or around Oct.31.

Comet McNaught's closest approach was 15,872,305 miles.
Here's a pic of Comet McNaught. photo by: Tony Vigo[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/16e7427c1a87.jpg[/atsimg]

Comet Elenin's closest approach will be 44,843,740 miles.

Elenin is already passing our orbit and heading towards the sun so it could flare up dramatically even more at any time now. When visable, look just to the right of Saturn. In the 1st week of October it should be at least at a 7th magnitude and visible through binoculars low in the morning sky.

Elenin hugs the horizon and remains in twilight from the northern U.S. and Canada now until it pops into the morning sky in October. Those living in the southern hemisphere however will continue to be able to watch the comet all the way into early September, when it might reach 7th magnitude. From mid-September through the start of October no one will see Elenin, because it will be too near the sun and invisible in its glare.

Around October 4, it will enter the morning sky in fine form in Leo for observers in the northern hemisphere. Since the comet is closest to Earth around this time, it will cover ‘ground’ quickly, becoming easier to see each morning as it moves higher in the sky. Because of the comet’s angle to the horizon, southern hemisphere observers will need to wait a few more days for its re-appearance.

* August 7 – Moves from Leo in the constellation Virgo. Earth distance: 133 million miles. Now at 10th magnitude. Might still be visible from the southern U.S. very low in the west during late twilight through a telescope. ~ Astro Bob

Anyone know if the Stereo B images are updated while they are taking the shots, or if it is disabled during that time?

deleted because information is in error

Originally posted by AstroBuzz


Comet Elenin's closest approach will be 44,843,740 miles.

that would really stink if its closest approach had nearly doubled in just a few days,i was thinking i was going to have trouble seeing it @ .23 AU, but now that its nearly twice as far away i guess ill need more than a good set of binoculars...

reply to post by RadicalRebel


Well Astrobuzz misquoted Astro Bob, the site he linked, according to Astro Bob your calculations are what he indicated, and not twice 0.23 AU, in fact he stated it more than once, just under 22 million miles away at it's closest point from Earth.

Why is the distance of this thing different every time I get a new report........Last I saw was 5.6 million miles...Typical monkey brained man thinking they have it all figured out

Give me some straight answers

reply to post by radpetey

Maybe because you are getting the answers from the wrong sources (see above).
Close approach has been set at around 0.23 AU since early this year.

Also don't confuse Elenin's closest approach to STEREO B, which was July 31st, just under 7.4 million km away, it's closest approach to earth will be mid October, still what was calculated months ago, it hasn't changed.

Originally posted by AstroBuzz

Elenin's coma is now the size of Comet McNaught's inner coma when that one came by in 2007. Elenin's closest approach to Earth is on Oct.16 and if there's debris, we'll be passing through that on or around Oct.31.

Comet McNaught's closest approach was 15,872,305 miles.
Here's a pic of Comet McNaught. photo by: Tony Vigo[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/16e7427c1a87.jpg[/atsimg]

Now i really curious because accordng to the link you gave for McNaught, and im just quoting your source here :

The comet was visible in daylight about 5°- 10° southeast of the Sun from January 12 to 14, with a peak brightness of magnitude -5.5.[11] Perigee (closest approach to the Earth) was January 15, 2007, at a distance of 0.82 AU

so does this mean that i really wont be needing a telescope or binoculars after all?

i mean sure c2010/X1 probably wont be as bright as McNaught (-4.5m in the pic i beleive) but with a tail and coma as large a elenins has been calculated and at a bit more than 1/3 the distance of McNaught i woud think there would be something to see.
Wouldnt mind walking away with a decent pic of elenin similar to the one you posted of McNaught
Cant wait to see if c2010/X1 blossoms during its close approach to the sun

My only question here is, what was the calculated coma and tail size of McNaught?...
adding : c2006/P1 so if the tail is beleived to be 2.5% wha does that translate in miles? or oes this relate to the distance as well?

WOW, a pic of elenin. Hey, anyone got a pic from other comets that went by us? cool, huh. I want to see more pics of comets, to put them on a wall that says these comets passed by. oooooh. INTERESTING.

reply to post by Phage


perspective
---------
(based on mean average)
sun and the earth is 149 million kilometers (93 million miles).
Comet Elenin's closest approach will be (44,843,740 miles.
Earth to the Moon is 384,403 kilometers (238,857 miles)
based on 0.23
and not
.0004AU
but then again it does seem too wobble quite a bit,

i dont even think its confirmed as a long or short period.
----------------
ohh and i do believe that the distance is measured to the NUCLEUS,,
which i thing has been confirmed at approx,, 4 kilometers,,, let me check
---------------------------------------------------------------
"C/2010 (Elenin) is: 3.5 km = 2.17479 miles in diameter.
So
1 AU=93,000,000 miles
Traveling at 50,400 kilometers per hour.
------------------------------
yup 3.5 km = 2.17479 miles in diameter. sounds about right

---------------------------------------------------
well mathematically anyway,,,,,,


ohh some time lets see Traveling at 50,400 kilometers per hour. at a distance of,,,gee its just math,,,

reply to post by BobAthome

0.23 AU = 21,379,854.2 miles