My View Of The Universe

Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

2014-10-24T09:31:00.002-04:00

It is exciting to see some of the photos from the European Space Agency's Rosetta. When I was a child watching a primitive Ranger space craft crash into the moon on black and white analog television, I never could have imagined watching these images coming to us from a space craft orbiting a comet!

Check out this page for a wild view of the comet close up!
http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2014/10/Comet_activity_10_September_2014

I have reserved time on an Internet telescope, Slooh.com, to see if I can grab some images. If I catch anything it all it would be a dot that appears to move from picture to picture - each being taken about a half hour apart. At 18th magnitude, it is so dim as to be doubtful - but ya gotta try!

0067P
Date       UT      R.A. (J2000) Decl.    Delta     r     El.    Ph.   m1     Sky Motion
            h m s                                                            "/min    P.A.
2014 10 24 000000 18 56 15.0 -29 08 13   3.278   3.120   72.1  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 010000 18 56 17.2 -29 08 07   3.278   3.120   72.1  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 020000 18 56 19.4 -29 08 01   3.278   3.119   72.1  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 030000 18 56 21.6 -29 07 55   3.279   3.119   72.0  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 040000 18 56 23.8 -29 07 49   3.279   3.119   72.0  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 050000 18 56 26.0 -29 07 43   3.279   3.119   72.0  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 060000 18 56 28.2 -29 07 36   3.280   3.118   71.9  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 070000 18 56 30.4 -29 07 30   3.280   3.118   71.9  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 080000 18 56 32.6 -29 07 24   3.280   3.118   71.9  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 090000 18 56 34.8 -29 07 18   3.281   3.117   71.8  17.6  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 100000 18 56 37.0 -29 07 12   3.281   3.117   71.8  17.6  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 110000 18 56 39.2 -29 07 05   3.281   3.117   71.8  17.6  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 120000 18 56 41.4 -29 06 59   3.282   3.117   71.7  17.6  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 130000 18 56 43.6 -29 06 53   3.282   3.116   71.7  17.6  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 140000 18 56 45.8 -29 06 47   3.282   3.116   71.7  17.6  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 150000 18 56 48.0 -29 06 41   3.283   3.116   71.6  17.6  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 160000 18 56 50.2 -29 06 34   3.283   3.116   71.6  17.6  18.5    0.49    078.0
2014 10 24 170000 18 56 52.5 -29 06 28   3.283   3.115   71.6  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 24 180000 18 56 54.7 -29 06 22   3.284   3.115   71.5  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 24 190000 18 56 56.9 -29 06 16   3.284   3.115   71.5  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 24 200000 18 56 59.1 -29 06 10   3.284   3.115   71.5  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 24 210000 18 57 01.4 -29 06 03   3.285   3.114   71.4  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 24 220000 18 57 03.6 -29 05 57   3.285   3.114   71.4  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 24 230000 18 57 05.8 -29 05 51   3.285   3.114   71.4  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 000000 18 57 08.0 -29 05 45   3.285   3.113   71.3  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 010000 18 57 10.3 -29 05 39   3.286   3.113   71.3  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 020000 18 57 12.5 -29 05 32   3.286   3.113   71.3  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 030000 18 57 14.7 -29 05 26   3.286   3.113   71.2  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 040000 18 57 17.0 -29 05 20   3.287   3.112   71.2  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 050000 18 57 19.2 -29 05 14   3.287   3.112   71.2  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 060000 18 57 21.5 -29 05 07   3.287   3.112   71.2  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 070000 18 57 23.7 -29 05 01   3.288   3.112   71.1  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 080000 18 57 25.9 -29 04 55   3.288   3.111   71.1  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 090000 18 57 28.2 -29 04 49   3.288   3.111   71.1  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 100000 18 57 30.4 -29 04 42   3.289   3.111   71.0  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 110000 18 57 32.7 -29 04 36   3.289   3.110   71.0  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 120000 18 57 34.9 -29 04 30   3.289   3.110   71.0  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 130000 18 57 37.2 -29 04 24   3.290   3.110   70.9  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 140000 18 57 39.4 -29 04 17   3.290   3.110   70.9  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 150000 18 57 41.7 -29 04 11   3.290   3.109   70.9  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 160000 18 57 44.0 -29 04 05   3.291   3.109   70.8  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 170000 18 57 46.2 -29 03 59   3.291   3.109   70.8  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 180000 18 57 48.5 -29 03 52   3.291   3.109   70.8  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 25 190000 18 57 50.7 -29 03 46   3.291   3.108   70.7  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 25 200000 18 57 53.0 -29 03 40   3.292   3.108   70.7  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 25 210000 18 57 55.3 -29 03 33   3.292   3.108   70.7  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 25 220000 18 57 57.5 -29 03 27   3.292   3.107   70.6  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 25 230000 18 57 59.8 -29 03 21   3.293   3.107   70.6  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 000000 18 58 02.1 -29 03 15   3.293   3.107   70.6  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 010000 18 58 04.4 -29 03 08   3.293   3.107   70.5  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 020000 18 58 06.6 -29 03 02   3.294   3.106   70.5  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 030000 18 58 08.9 -29 02 56   3.294   3.106   70.5  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 040000 18 58 11.2 -29 02 49   3.294   3.106   70.4  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 050000 18 58 13.5 -29 02 43   3.295   3.106   70.4  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 060000 18 58 15.7 -29 02 37   3.295   3.105   70.4  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 070000 18 58 18.0 -29 02 30   3.295   3.105   70.3  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 080000 18 58 20.3 -29 02 24   3.296   3.105   70.3  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 090000 18 58 22.6 -29 02 18   3.296   3.104   70.3  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 100000 18 58 24.9 -29 02 11   3.296   3.104   70.2  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 110000 18 58 27.2 -29 02 05   3.296   3.104   70.2  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 120000 18 58 29.5 -29 01 59   3.297   3.104   70.2  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 130000 18 58 31.8 -29 01 53   3.297   3.103   70.1  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 140000 18 58 34.1 -29 01 46   3.297   3.103   70.1  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 150000 18 58 36.4 -29 01 40   3.298   3.103   70.1  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 160000 18 58 38.7 -29 01 33   3.298   3.103   70.0  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 170000 18 58 41.0 -29 01 27   3.298   3.102   70.0  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 180000 18 58 43.3 -29 01 21   3.299   3.102   70.0  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 190000 18 58 45.6 -29 01 14   3.299   3.102   69.9  17.5  18.5    0.52    078.1
2014 10 26 200000 18 58 47.9 -29 01 08   3.299   3.101   69.9  17.5  18.5    0.52    078.1
2014 10 26 210000 18 58 50.2 -29 01 02   3.300   3.101   69.9  17.5  18.5    0.52    078.1
2014 10 26 220000 18 58 52.5 -29 00 55   3.300   3.101   69.8  17.5  18.5    0.52    078.2
2014 10 26 230000 18 58 54.8 -29 00 49   3.300   3.101   69.8  17.5  18.5    0.52    078.2
2014 10 27 000000 18 58 57.1 -29 00 43   3.301   3.100   69.8  17.5  18.5    0.52    078.2
2014 10 27 010000 18 58 59.5 -29 00 36   3.301   3.100   69.7  17.5  18.5    0.52    078.2

NGC 834 - A Private Little Galaxy

2014-08-15T11:22:00.000-04:00

Photographing NGC 834, I found it to be a tiny galaxy from our view here on earth. It certainly was not very bright, but it is far from the dimmest in the NGC. It has an interesting shape and features. Notice the slightly irregular shape. There is a brighter area near the center, and a dark crescent-shaped lane above that bright area. I wondered what Hubble would make of it, but there is no image of NGC 834 in the HST index.

What I did find really interesting about this galaxy is a little note on the NGC IC Project pages. "This was discovered by WH, who remained its sole observer at the time the NGC was compiled. - Dr. Harold G. Corwin, Jr."

Herschel discovered NGC 834 in 1786. The NGC was compiled in 1888. That means that for 102 the only human eyes to see this galaxy was Herschel. Such a private little galaxy.

Comet C2014 E2 (Jacques)

2014-08-04T08:57:00.000-04:00

Comet C2014 E2 (Jacques) is now a 6th magnitude object and easy to view and photograph. The coma is very bright and the tail has an intricate structure.

C/2014 E2 Jacques is so named because it is a non periodic comet (hence the "C" as opposed to "P" for periodic comet that returns every several years) that was discovered in 2014. The letter E indicates it was discovered in the first half of March (the letters indicate the half month of discovery, A for first half of January, B for second half, C for first half of February, D for second half, and E for first half of March, etc). The digit 2 indicates this was the second comet discovered in March, 2014. Jacques refers to the name or group making the discovery, in this case Cristovao Jacques of the SONEAR Observatory near Oliverira, Brazil.

When it was discovered, it was at 14.7 magnitude, which is very dim. It is now 6.9 magnitude. This means that in a very dark viewing site, such as the Everglades of Florida, the object will be a very dim one when viewed with the unaided eye. In the light pollution of a city like Orlando, Florida, the object will not be seen without a telescope. To really view the comet, a telescope and camera are a must.

The comet will reach perigee (the closest approach to Earth) on August 28, 2014. It will be 52,000,000 miles, or 84,000,000 kilometers away. That is quite a distance, but astronomically speaking it is not that far - just a little more than half the distance between the earth and the sun.

Supernova 2014bv Fading

2014-07-28T14:24:00.000-04:00

The supernova 2014bv is fading, but still very bright and worthy of observations.

It is located in NGC 4386.

Here are two images, the first from earlier this month, followed by a more recent one taken a few hours ago.

NGC 6564

2014-07-27T14:20:00.000-04:00

Look at NGC 6564 and what do you see?

Not much

Maybe there is a double star - maybe not.

Here is the thing with 6564: It was discovered by Albert Marth in 1864. Marth was a 19th Century German astronomer who went to England in 1853 and worked for a fellow named George Bishop - Bishop was a wealth wine merchant who was a patron of astronomy and gave Marth funding so that the astronomer could be free to pursue his interests. At that time it was rare that a person would be paid to be an astronomer. He made extensive calculations of transits of various planets FROM other planets. He predicted transits of Earth as seen from Mars. Imagine - he was working as if we might be able to see Earth from Mars

Now about NGC 6564. We are not quite sure what Marth saw. One source says, "NGC 6564 is probably a triple star 1.5 seconds preceding and 1.5 arcmin south of Marth's position. There is no galaxy near that he might have seen, and the triple would probably match his view of it with Lassell's 48-inch. Marth found two other galaxies the same night (N6375 and N6379); the mean offset of their positions from Marth's is in the same direction and about the same size (1 second of time and 1 arcmin) as those for the triple. All in all, this amounts only to circumstantial evidence, but it is the best we can do at the moment. - Dr. Harold G. Corwin, Jr."

NGC 6636

2014-07-18T14:17:00.000-04:00

NGC 6636 is an interesting galaxy - in part for it's apparent proximity to a different galaxy.

First, about NGC 6636 - It is located in Draco and was discovered in 1836 by Lewis Swift. I find the structure interesting. Take a look at the center - there is the galactic core, but also two other similarly bright areas near the center - a clumping of light sources. It has a nice apparent size and shape that is pleasing to the eye.

But there is that star that looks like it might be a supernova candidate - the kind that makes you google other images to be sure it has been there for a while. It has - but it is not a star. That is actually another galaxy. MCG+11-22-047. Simbad says it is a Seyfert Galaxy.

Seyfert galaxies have quasar-like nuclei - meaning they are very luminous, distant and bright but unlike quasars, we can clearly see their host galaxies (although with Slooh.com it just looks star-like).

The galaxies get their name from Carl Seyfert, who first described their type in 1943.

The star like galaxy is in the upper left of the core, just on the edge of the upper spiral.

The Zombie Galaxy - or is it Zorro's Galaxy? NGC 3718

2014-05-12T12:16:00.001-04:00

NGC 3718 has some dark lanes, common to many galaxies. What is unusual is that from my perspective, and perhaps yours, it looks like someone has cut a "Z" across the galaxy. It reminds me of the Mark of Zorro - or perhaps it is a suggestion that this galaxy is full of zombies!

It was discovered by Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel in 1789. Located in Ursa Major, it is part of the M109 Galaxy Group.

This image was taken with the remote controlled telescope Slooh.com

Supernova in Galaxy 6dFGS gJ135603.2-433432

2014-05-11T10:02:00.000-04:00

When you are looking at a galaxy that is designated with the outrageously long name: 6dFGS gJ135603.2-433432, then you know there is something strange or unusual happening in that galaxy far, far away. In this case, we are looking at a supernova, which is designated PSN J13560419-4335099. The possible supernova discovery by E. Conseil was reported on May 6, 2014. It was not visible on images made in April - was someone really looking at this galaxy as recently as April?

The image below was taken with a half meter scope - is it possible for it to be visible to this telescope WITHOUT the supernova?

Observing Our Galaxy's Newly Discovered Globular Cluster

2014-04-21T11:02:00.001-04:00

PSO J174.0675-10.8774 is the designation for the newly discovered Globular Cluster of our galaxy.

A Globular Cluster is a tightly bound, spherical system of stars orbiting a galaxy. One would not find such a cluster near the center of a galaxy, but on the edges and within the "halo" of a galaxy. As a teenager, I assumed the term was pronounced like "glob" ular cluster. But it occurred to me one day that this was stupid - it had to be like a globe and should have been pronounced "globe" ular. Nope, I was right the first time. Go figure.

Most globular clusters are very round in nature, looking very much like a globe. Occasionally some are like globs, lacking a perfect spherical shape.

Omega Centauri (ω Cen), also known as NGC 5139, is seen below - perfect example of the beauty of a globular cluster.

Now compare the image above with the one below.

I took this image of the newly discovered globular cluster using one of the remote controlled telescopes on the Canary Islands (Slooh.com). Without enhancing the image, the globular cluster is not visible. I have imposed a small area onto the original image, and in that small, enhanced image, the globular cluster is visible.

PSO J174.0675-10.8774 was found in the stacked photometric catalog of the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System 1 (Pan-STARRS1) Survey. The announcement of this discovery was published in March, 2014, at this link: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1403.6593v1.pdf.

This relatively unattractive globular cluster is significant because it is believed to be the most distant such system from our galaxy's center, and suggests that the discoveries of globular clusters orbiting our galaxy has not yet been completed! In other words, stand by - there may be more to be found in the years ahead.

Update on Supernova 2014J in M82

2014-03-21T00:19:00.001-04:00

Supernova 2014J in M82 is the brightest supernova we have seen in a while.

SN 2014J is the closest type Ia supernova since 1972, and the closest of any type since 2004.

Close - well, at a distance of 11.5 million light years, it's not really all that close unless you are an astronomer!

Update on M65 and Supernova 2013am

2014-03-19T23:22:00.000-04:00

This is an update from a blog posting from last year:
http://myquestar.blogspot.com/2013/03/supernova-in-m65.html.

I see no visual appearance of last year's supernova, the first ever seen in Galaxy M65.

Double Transit of Jupiter!

2014-03-16T17:56:00.000-04:00

The shadow of one moon, Ganymede, is clearly seen in the image above. You can just make out the partial shadow of Io. The images below, however, show both shadows very well.

Comet 134P/Kowal-Vavrova

2014-03-13T11:52:00.002-04:00

Comet 134P/Kowal-Vavrova is one of many periodic comets. It's orbital period is 15.6 years.

It was discovered May 8, 1983. The announcement was made in September by Charles T. Kowal, who had discovered the comet by examining photographic plates made May 8, 9 and 15 with the 1.2-m Schmidt telescope at Palomar Observatory. The comet appeared as a diffuse, condensed trail on the three plates. He estimated the magnitude as 16.

Shortly after the September announcement of the discovery, it was determined that asteroid 1983 JG was actually the same celestial body as the comet. The discoverer of the suspected asteroid was Zdenka Vavrova of the Klet' Observatory in the Czech Republic. Therefore his name was also assigned to the comet.

Jim Scotti recovered the comet with the Spacewatch telescope at Kitt Peak on December 5, 1997 when it was 22nd mag.

On this return, as with the two previous visits into inner Solar System, the comet is not a very impressive comet, but it is an interesting challenge for the astronomer.

Comet ISON 2012 S1 Visible With Unaided Eye

2013-11-23T07:34:00.000-05:00

Comet ISON can now be seen with the unaided eye in moderately light polluted skies. It is difficult to see. One needs to know exactly where to look in the skies. The coma is moderately easy to spot. The tail is barely visible. My location was a short distance outside of Orlando, FL, at the corner of Travistock Lakes Blvd and Narcoossee Road.

These photos use camera settings that approximate my personal vision. As a 59 year old, I'm not surprised that others report better views with the unaided eye. These photos were taken at 5:48 am November 23, 2013, Eastern Time.

Comet ISON - binoculars or unaided eye?

2013-11-14T15:19:00.001-05:00

Reports are coming in that people have seen Comet ISON with binoculars. This morning there were reports that it was visible with the unaided eye.

Here is my picture of Comet ISON taken with a wide angle view. If you look reeeeeal close, you can see it - just behind the FEW clouds that lingered this morning! The comet's position is just below the cloud line. As the morning progressed, more clouds arrived.

Such is the life of the astronomer - we can't control the weather.

Comet ISON - Two Tailed Comet !!!

2013-11-11T15:14:00.000-05:00

My observations of Comet ISON show a second tail in the photographs taken November 11, 2013.

The presence of two tails is a sign that the comet is getting closer to the sun (ISON will be closest to the sun on November 28th, just a few days away).

The prominent tail is called the ion tail. It is composed of ionized gas molecules created by solar wind (charged particles that move very quickly from the sun). This tail points almost directly away from the sun, and has nothing to do with the direction the comet is traveling. As the comet moves away from the sun, the tail leads the way. Right now, as the comet moves toward the sun, the body of the comet is followed by the tail.

The small tail that appears to be a line separated from the ion tail above it in the photos is the dust tail. This is composed of small dust particles that come from the comet's nucleus which are being pushed away by light pressure from the sun. The materials in the dust tail are heavier than those in the ion tail and therefore tend to stay where they fall.

There are always two tails, but as the comet nears the sun these diverge, and it is this divergence that enables them to be seen as separate objects.

Actually, if you look closely, I think you can see a third tail.

Comet ISON - October 5 2013

2013-10-06T15:53:00.000-04:00

Comet ISON on October 5, 2013, at R.A. 9h 43m 50s Dec. +16° 43' 00"

Comet ISON Viewing in November and December

2013-10-05T14:34:00.001-04:00

Below is a chart for viewing Comet ISON during November and December, 2013. My estimates of the magnitude, or brightness, of the comet is more conservative than other sources - here's hoping I'm the pessimist who is proven wrong by others.

DATE	Estimated MAGNITUDE	ISON rises	DEGREES from Sun	Moon	Notes
November 1, Friday	7-9	4 hours, 9 minutes before Sun	85 WNW	2 days before New Moon 3% illumination in morning sky	Comet is 1.6 degrees west of Sigma Leonis, a 4 magnitude star
November 2, Saturday	7-9	4 hours 7 minutes	51 WNW	1 day before New Moon, 2 % illumination in morning sky	Comet is less than 1 degree from Sigma Leonis.
November 3 Sunday	7-9	4 hours 4 minutes	51 WNW	New Moon	- if anyone has an extra ticket to Africa, let me know. The annular-total eclipse will be visible there. So how cool will this be to see the comet during the eclipse?
November 4 Monday	7-9	4 hours 1 minute	50 WNW	1 day past New Moon, 1 percent illumination
November 5 Tuesday	7-8	3 hours 58 minutes	50 WNW	2 days past New Moon
November 6 Wednesday	6-8	3 hours 53 minutes	49 WNW	3 days past New Moon
November 7 Thursday	6-8	3 hours 49 minutes	48 WNW	3 days before First Quarter, moon is in evening sky and is not relevant	Comet is 2 degrees SE of Beta Virginis (also called Zavijava), a 3.6 magnitude star.
November 8 Friday	6-8	3 hours 44 minutes	47 WNW	moon is in evening sky and is not relevant
November 9 Saturday	6-8	3 hours 39 minutes	46 WNW	moon is in evening sky and is not relevant	Deep sky photo op – close encounters with galaxies NGC 4044 and NGC 4030
November 10 Sunday	6-8	3 hours 33 minutes	45 WNW	moon is in evening sky and is not relevant
November 11 Monday	6-8	3 hours 27 minutes	43 WNW	moon is in evening sky and is not relevant
November 12 Tuesday	6-7	3 hours 20 minutes	42 WNW	moon is in evening sky and is not relevant
November 13 Wednesday	6-7	3 hours 13 minutes	41 WNW	moon is in evening sky and is not relevant	Less than 1.5 degrees from galaxy NGC 4546 and less than 1 degree with NGC 4593
November 14 Thursday	6-7	3 hours 5 minutes	39 WNW	moon is in evening sky and is not relevant
November 15 Friday	6	2 hours 56 minutes	37 WNW	2 days before Full Moon, 95% illumination, visible in morning sky	Moon is the enemy of viewing comet tonight!
November 16 Saturday	6	2 hours 47 minutes	35 WNW	1 day before Full Moon, 99% illumination, morning sky
November 17 Sunday	5-6	2 hours 37 minutes	33 WEST	100 % illumination with the Full Moon visible throughout the evening sky	SHOULD BE EASY TO FIND at about 5am, EST. About 2 degrees WNW of Spica, a first magnitude star, also known as Alpha Virginis.
November 18 Monday	5-6	2 hours 26 minutes	31 WEST	1 day past Full Moon, 99% illumination in morning sky
November 19 Tuesday	5-6	2 hours 15 minutes	29 WEST	2 days past Full Moon, 97% illumination in morning sky
November 20 Wednesday	4-6	2 hours 3 minutes	27 WEST	3 days past Full Moon, 93% illumination in morning sky
November 21 Thursday	4-6	1 hour 50 minutes	24 WEST	4 days past Full Moon, 87% illumination in morning sky	This is a good day to go to the beach and look over the Atlantic. Comet ISON and Comet 2P/Encke will be about 5 degrees apart (that is about the diameter of three fingers held at arm’s length)
November 22 Friday	4-5	1 hour 37 minutes	22 WEST	3 days before Last Quarter, 80% illumination in morning sky
November 23 Saturday	3-5	1 hour 23 minutes	19 WEST	2 days before Last Quarter, 72% illumination in morning sky	Another day to head for the beach and look across the Atlantic in the predawn hour. A pair of binoculars with a 7 degree field of view will show Comet ISON, Comet 2p/Encke, Alpha Librae, and the planets Mercury and Saturn.
November 24 Sunday	3-5	1 hour 9 minutes	16 WEST	1 day before Last Quarter, 63% illumination in morning sky	You will see Comet ISON in the morning twilight. Only the coma will be visible, the tail being lost in the sunlight. The coma will form a triangle with Mercury and Saturn.
November 25 Monday	2-3	54 minutes	13 WEST	Last Quarter 54% illumination in morning sky	At this point, and for a few days, one would be very lucky to see ISON.
November 26 Tuesday	1-2	39 minutes	10 WEST	1 day past Last Quarter, 44% illumination in morning sky
November 27 Wednesday	1-2	22 minutes	7 WEST	2 days past Last Quarter, 34% illumination in morning sky	Comet ISON is NOT visible at all this morning.
November 28 Thursday	-8 TO 1	2 minutes before the sun!	3 degrees WEST !!!	3 days past Last Quarter, 25% illumination in morning sky	At 2:40 pm EST, the Comet ISON reaches perihelion. This means it is at its closest to the sun. Some believe there is a chance that the comet will be visible. Slim chance.
November 29 Friday	-2 to 1	10 minutes before the sun	3 degrees NORTH	3 days before New Moon, 16% illumination in morning sky	Comet is not visible.
November 30 Saturday	0-1	26 minutes before the sun	6 NORTH	2 days before New Moon, 9% illumination morning sky
December 1 Sunday	1-2	41 minutes	9 NNW	New Moon
December 2 Monday	2-3	51 minutes	11 NNW	1 day past New Moon
December 3 Tuesday	3-4	1 hour 3 minutes	14 NNW	2 days past New Moon	The comet will rise an hour before sunrise, and this may be the best viewing since perihelion.
December 4 Wednesday	3-4	1 hour 14 minutes	16 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 5 Thursday	3-4	1 hour 25 minutes	18 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 6 Friday	3-4	1 hour 36 minutes	21 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 7 Saturday	3-4	1 hour 46 minutes	23 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 8 Sunday	3-5	1 hour 57 minutes	25 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 9 Monday	4-5	2 hours 8 minutes	28 NNW	Moon is in evening sky	The comet is now rising 2 hours before sunrise, and should be easier to spot.
December 10 Tuesday	4-5	2 hours 19 minutes	30 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 11 Wednesday	4-5	2 hours 30 minutes	33 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 12 Thursday	4-5	2 hours 41 minutes	35 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 13 Friday	4-5	2 hours 52 minutes	38 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 14 Saturday	4-5	3 hours 7 minutes	40 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 15 Sunday	4.5 to 5	3 hours 19 minutes	43 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 16 Monday	5	3 hours 32 minutes	46 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 17 Tuesday	5	3 hours 42 minutes	49 NNW	Full Moon, 100% illumination all night	The moon will interfere from now until Christmas.
December 18 Wednesday	5-6	3 hours 56 minutes	52 NNW	1 day past Full Moon, 99% illumination in morning sky
December 19 Thursday	5-6	4 hours 11 minutes	55 NNW	2 days past Full Moon, 96% illumination morning sky
December 20 Friday	5-6	4 hours 27 minutes	58 NNW	3 days past Full Moon, 92% illumination, morning sky
December 21 Saturday	5-6	4 hours 45 minutes	61 NNW	4 days past Full Moon, 86% illumination, morning sky
December 22 Sunday	5-6	5 hours 4 minutes	65 NNW	3 days before Last Quarter, 79% illumination, morning sky
December 23 Monday	5-6	5 hours 27 minutes	68 NNW	2 days before Last Quarter 71% illumination in morning sky
December 24 Tuesday	5-7	5 hours 54 minutes	72 NNW	1 day before Last Quarter, 62% illumination in morning sky
December 25 Wednesday	5-7	6 hours 28 minutes	75 NNW	Last Quarter, 53% illumination in morning sky
December 26 Thursday	5-7	7 hours 19 minutes	78 NNW	1 day past Last Quarter, 42% illumination in morning sky
December 27 Friday	5-7	always in nighttime sky	82 NNW	2 days past Last Quarter, 31% illumination in morning sky
December 28 Saturday	5-7	always in nighttime sky	85 NNW	3 days past Last Quarter, 22% illumination in morning sky
December 29 Sunday	5-7	always in nighttime sky	88 NNW	3 days before New Moon, 13% illumination in morning sky
December 30 Monday	6-7	always in nighttime sky	91 NNW	2 days before New Moon
December 31 Tuesday	6-7	always in nighttime sky	94 NNW	New Moon	The comet will be 19 degrees from the North Star.

Comet ISON Viewing Schedule

2013-09-28T18:11:00.002-04:00

I've been observing Comet ISON 2012 S1 for a couple of days short of one year. Now the real fun is about to begin!

At this point, September 28, 2013, Comet ISON S1 2012 has just entered the realm of the constellation Leo. It remains an object that is only seen through a telescope.

In early October, 2013, may break magnitude ten, becoming an object that will be visible through a binoculars. With the October 4th New Moon, we should have a couple of good weeks of viewing.

October 1, 2013 - Comet ISON will make its closes approach to Mars. NASA will turn the cameras of rovers Curiosity and Opportunity as well as the orbiters Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance onto the comet.

October 15, 2013 - By this time, the comet will be clearing the horizon by 3am - and by the dawn's light begins to glow, it will be 40 degrees high.

October 16, 2013 - The comet will be 2 degrees NNE of the star Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo. This will make the still-dim challenge easier to locate and photograph. This should be a great day for viewing - the Full Moon begins does not enter the night sky until the 18th.

October 26, 2013 - Tonight's a photo op with the comet moving within three degrees of the three galaxies M96 M95 and M105.

Early November 2013 - Comet ISON should become a naked eye object.

November 3, 2013 - if anyone has an extra ticket to Africa, let me know. The annular-total eclipse will be visible there. So how cool will this be to see the comet during the eclipse?

November 7, 2013 - The comet will be less than a degree from the bright star Beta Virginis. This should make the comet easy to find in light-polluted areas.

November 14, 2013 - Another photo op: the Comet will be less than a degree from galaxy NGC 4697.

Mid-November, 2013 - the comet will be 20 degrees above the horizon at dawn, but hopefully the tail will be impressive.

November 17, 2013 - Full Moon: not a friend of viewing the comet.

November 18, 2013 - In spite of the Full Moon, the comet will be within half a degree of the star Spica, making the comet easy to find.

November 21, 2013 - The comet will be swallowed by the twilight from the sunrise. The comet will disappear for a while - unless (and the odds of this are low) it becomes visible in the daylight.

November 23, 2013 - The comet will be less than 5 degrees from Mercury and less than 5 degrees Saturn.

November 25, 2013 - Photo op with TWO comets. Comet ISON and Comet 2P/Encke will be within 1.2 degrees.

November 28, 2013, 2300 Universal Time - the comet reaches perihelion. In the days leading up to this, and immediately after, we'll see if the comet breaks apart or holds together. At this time the comet may become visible in the daylight. If the magnitude of the comet is minus 10, it may be visible. However, it will only be 1.5 degrees from the solar disk, so care will need to be taken in making observations.

December 5, 2013 - the comet will return to the predawn hours. It will have dimmed, but it is possible that it will be magnitude zero -- still impressive. If the comet was able to hold together during its closest encounter with the sun on November 28, the tail will be very, very impressive.

Mid-December, 2013 - the comet will be visible in BOTH early evening and early morning skies. It will be a third of the way up the sky in the morning, and low on the horizon in the evening. Since the comet will come so close to the sun, and since it will be making its first trip out of the Oort Cloud, there is every reason the view will be very dynamic.

January 2014 brings a great opportunity. The comet will remain visible all night long! However, at this point the comet will be dimming and at some time during the month the comet will reach a magnitude of 8 or so, meaning it will become something for the binoculars or the small telescope.

Oh -- one last note. It has been scientifically proven that comets and cats have two things in common. They both have tails and they both can be unpredictable.

Comet Ison 2012 S1 September 28, 2013

2013-09-27T19:49:00.000-04:00

September 28, 2013

Comet Ison as viewed from the Slooh online telescope.

2013-09-12T19:54:00.000-04:00

September 11, 2013 Comet ISON 2012 S1 viewed from the online telescope Slooh.

The changiing vace of Comet ISON over past year.

2013-09-07T20:02:00.000-04:00

Comet ISON is continuing to change and brighten! It is still promising to be a Great Comet.

2013-09-04T19:58:00.000-04:00

September 4, 2013 Comet Ison viewed from the online telescope Slooh with galaxy in view.

ISON August 30 2013

2013-08-30T20:00:00.000-04:00

August 30 2013 view of ISON via the internet telescope Slooh.

Supernova in M65 Continues to Shine

2013-06-08T19:54:00.000-04:00

The supernova in M65 is still easily visible.