A comet is a magical sight in the heavens. Comets visible to the naked eye are a uncommon event, and sometimes they put up very suggestive shows in our skies. Those of us who have witnessed the apparition of a bright comet do not forget that experience easily.
The recent landing on comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko of the Rosetta spacecraft has made even more fascinating the observation of comets from the ground, as we got treated by close-ups of the comet surface that resemble mountainous terrains on Earth. Imagining a rock streaming in the sky, coming nearby after a long trip from the Oort cloud, and maybe returning sometimes in the future, or maybe getting lost forever, is truly remarkable.
Comet Lovejoy is currently a lovely object for astro-photographers, as the picture on the right witnesses. This was taken by the British imager Damian Peach, who is best known for his award-winning images of Jupiter but who excels at every target.
If you live under dark skies, I advise you to step out on a clear night during one of the next few days, as comet Lovejoy is crossing a region of sky where it is well observable by most of us. It has reached naked-eye visibility, but I advise you to get equipped with a good pairs of binoculars - a 7x50, or even better a 11x80 set (I have a 20x100 pair, but it weighs 10 pounds and makes observation a bit complicated if you do not want to carry around a hefty tripod; so I will use my 7x50 for this task).
The finder chart below should allow you to locate the comet easily during the first hours after sunset. I assume you are capable of locating Orion (bottom left), one of the most well-known constellations of the winter sky. Enjoy your views, and be sure to share your experience with the rest of us in the comments thread below!
Watch Comet Lovejoy Tonight
Related articles
- The World Is NOT Going To End On 23rd September- Or October- David Meade & Nibiru- FAKE PROPHET ALERT
- Jupiter approaches Earth- catch it now or wait until 2022
- Watch The Perseids Tonight!
- A Meteor Storm Tonight: Watch The Draconids!
- Why The Solar Eclipse This August Is A Wonder Of Nature And Not Something To Be Scared Of
Comments