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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.
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.
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 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
Originally posted by AstroBuzz
Comet Elenin's closest approach will be 44,843,740 miles.
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]
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