Comets in the sky right now

A lot of attention is drawn to ISON, like it's a special and unprecendented phenomenon. However, it helps with getting the right perspective on things when you consider all the comets that are out there and visible in telescopes or even large binoculars.

The following link gives this week's brightest comets: www.aerith.net... There are over 50 of them.

I'd like to post latest images of some of those comets, currently observable with a decent backyard telescope.

C/2012 V2 LINEAR Currently the sky's brightest and most impressive comet. Discovered by the LINEAR survey on November 5th, 2012, the comet passed perihelion in August 2013 and became a fairly bright morning sky comet for southern observers, glowing at around 8th magnitude.

www.damianpeach.com...



C/2009 F4 McNaught Showing some interesting coma structure and a faint dust tail stretching around 8 arc mins in length.

www.damianpeach.com...



The newly-discovered C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy). It will pass only 0.4 A.U. from the earth in November and December, and will brighten up to 6 mag. In the Northern Hemisphere, it keeps observable in excellent condition for a long time until 2014 autumn.

www.damianpeach.com...



P/2013 CU129 Pan-STARRS captured on September 2nd. A lovely little active comet which passed perihelion about a month back. Currently located around 5deg away from Messier 83 and glowing at around 13th magnitude.

www.damianpeach.com...


Images above taken by Damian Peach, check out his website: www.damianpeach.com...

If you're an astrophotographer yourself, feel free to post your latest comet images here

Nice try, but ATS users arent interested in facts.

The other thread you posted yesterday, Comet ISON, a FAQ for the Perplexed, has only got 6 replies in the 24 hours since posting.

On the other hand, a thread which suggest comet ISON might be an alien spacecraft, An image of Comet Ison or is it really a comet?, got 22 whole pages of replies in its first 24 hours.

Says a lot about ATS, really.

Thank you for the information, most interesting, I hope I get to see some of them!

reply to post by alfa1

Dont confuse me with the truth, im a ATS member

reply to post by alfa1


couldn`t agree more with what you say

alfa1

Nice try, but ATS users arent interested in facts.

The other thread you posted yesterday, Comet ISON, a FAQ for the Perplexed, has only got 6 replies in the 24 hours since posting.

On the other hand, a thread which suggest comet ISON might be an alien spacecraft, An image of Comet Ison or is it really a comet?, got 22 whole pages of replies in its first 24 hours.

Says a lot about ATS, really.

Maybe 'wildspace' should have entitled this thread "OMG! In the sky RIGHT NOW!! Comets!"
It's all in the packaging

Six months ago I was reading that ISON was supposed to be the most spectacular comet of our lifetime. Now I"m reading that they have greatly dialed back that expectation. I'm still looking forward to the Thanksgiving night sky to see what it all turns out to be. I remember Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake. Both were very cool ....

reply to post by alfa1


Tyx for adding so much knowledge.

reply to post by wildespace


Thanks, I wasn't aware of those - and Lovejoy may be visible through binoculars so I'll keep a look out (I'm an antique dealer, which will make sense to those from England of a certain age!)

ISON remains the most anticipated sight though. Hoping for some good photo ops in Nov/Dec

reply to post by wildespace


All of my attention has been on ISON. Thanks for this informative post. It brings home the majesty of the great space highway. S&F

eek lol wrong thread sorry

Hey buddy.
Is Curiosity Rover attempting test images of ISON?
Closest approach to Mars in 12 days or so.

Take a look at the page. particularly the thumbnails.
and as of now, the two full res images.

mars.jpl.nasa.gov...

spacedoubt
Hey buddy.
Is Curiosity Rover attempting test images of ISON?
Closest approach to Mars in 12 days or so.

Take a look at the page. particularly the thumbnails.
and as of now, the two full res images.

mars.jpl.nasa.gov...

According to this thread (link), that blob in that image is Mars' moon "Phobos".

reply to post by Soylent Green Is People


ah, caught me not doing a search!


Those were taken with the left cam.
Left mastcam, 34 mm lens. Right mastcam 100mm

so that does make sense. It's a much wider field. Smaller object.

I was curious about the shots from the Right cam too..only thumbnails ATM...some of those are fuzzy but not elongated.

I refuse to have my lifetime on Earth defined by the number and excitement generated by passing Comets

Hal Bopp was directly connected to the Heavens' Gate stupidity
but Hallys had little more than curosity attached to It.... thank heavens


i sincerely hope that ISON will be the Hopi Blue Kachina (the Purification Star)

that will be worthwhile IMHO

alfa1

Nice try, but ATS users arent interested in facts.

The other thread you posted yesterday, Comet ISON, a FAQ for the Perplexed, has only got 6 replies in the 24 hours since posting.

On the other hand, a thread which suggest comet ISON might be an alien spacecraft, An image of Comet Ison or is it really a comet?, got 22 whole pages of replies in its first 24 hours.

Says a lot about ATS, really.

Haha true that lol. Very sad lol

The Bot

dlbott
Says a lot about ATS, really.

Haha true that lol. Very sad lol

The Bot


And in other news, after only 12 hours, the thread ET Contactee Tolec: Comet ISON is a Biosphere is already up to 5 pages.

Says a lot about ATS, really.

The brightest comet right now is C/2014 E2 Jacques, visible in the Northern Hemisphere, currently above the W asterism of Cassiopeia.

Here it is, photographed by Damian Peach (astrophotographer extraordinaire) on August 21, seen next to the Heart Nebula: sen.com...



It has beautiful green coma and a delicate ion tail.

You can easily spot it in a small amateur telescope, or good pair of binoculars. I tried to find it myself in my 10x42 binoculars last night, but couldn't, most likely because of light pollution.

Check out this awesome time-lapse of the comet Jacques traversing the stars:


sites.rapidus.net...

Beautiful, isn't she?

Anyone on here had any luck observing or photographing it?

a reply to: wildespace

very cool