Tag Archives: Elenin

Comets in the Night Sky

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Comet Double Feature: Comets Elenin & Garradd Now Showing in Night Sky

by Geoff Gaherty, Starry Night Education
Date: 26 August 2011 Time: 10:00 AM ET
Comet Garradd can be seen right now with binoculars in the constellation Sagitta
Comet Garradd can be seen right now with binoculars in the constellation Sagitta

Skywatchers often ask “When’s the next comet?” In fact, if you’re prepared to do a bit of searching, there are always several comets visible in the night sky, including two right now.

Some comets are like old friends, they keep coming back at regular intervals to visit. These are called periodic comets; Comet Halley was the first such comet to be identified, by Edmond Halley back in 1705. It returns to the inner solar system every 75 to 76 years; its last appearance was in 1986 and its next will be in 2061. At present Halley is out just beyond Neptune;s orbit.

Other comets are one-time visitors: they come in to visit us from the Oort Cloud, warm themselves for a few months by the sun, and then head back out to the farthest reaches of the solar system.

to read more, go to: http://www.space.com/12746-comet-elenin-comet-garradd-night-sky-observing-tips.html

Date: Comets Honda & Elenin

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Comet Honda speeds past Earth today, joins Comet Elenin this Fall

Published on August 15, 2011 3:05 am PT
– By Dave Tole – Writer
– Article Editor and Approved – Warren Miller


No larger image

(TheWeatherSpace.com) — Comet Honda is expected to pass by the Earth today above the South Pole at a distance of only 5.6 million miles.

This is about 23 times the distance from Earth to the moon. Will the comet cause an effects on our planet? Probably not, but Earth may actually alter this 0.6 mile across rock some.

The coma extends out to 43,000 miles and is currently a magnitude 8.0 in the Southern skies. The coma from Earth is half the width of the Full moon, which makes it a large night sky object for favored Southern observers.

On October 7th of 2011 (this year), Comet Honda will brighten to a magnitude 5 in the constellation Leo and favor a horizon view before sunrise for Northern sky observers.

That is not all, Comet Honda will join Comet Elenin and both will be visible on that morning in the same wide field of view in Binoculars and camera lenses, a rare treat with two comets at once!

fr/http://www.theweatherspace.com/news/TWS-08_15_2011_hondaelenin.html