Comet Lovejoy Closest This Week

Staff Writer, Nathaniel Diaz

Space / Comet
_____________________________________

Get out your astronomical gear, binoculars and telescopes, Comet Lovejoy to be the brightest this week. According to Space.com's article, How to Spot Potentially Dazzling 'New Year's Comet', we are given a guide to finding our own vision of Comet Lovejoy:

Closest to Earth on Jan. 7

Gareth V. Williams, of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, calculated the comet's revised orbit based on 530 observed positions from July 1 (before the comet was discovered) through Dec. 4. He found that the comet will pass through the perihelion point of its orbit (its closest point to the sun) on Jan. 30, when it passes 119.9 million miles (193 million km) from the sun. However, the comet is expected to reach its closest point to Earth — a minimum of 43.6 million miles (70.2 million km) — on Jan. 7.

For this reason, assuming that the comet will continue to brighten at its current rate, I would suggest that Lovejoy will be at its brightest around Jan. 7, shining as bright as magnitude 4.6, thus making it one of the brightest comets located high in a dark sky since the unexpected outburst of Comet Holmes in October 2007. [101 Amazing Skywatcher Photos from 2014]

That's a bit brighter than Eta Ursae Minoris, the faintest of the four stars in the bowl of the Little Dipper. So, will you be able to glimpse the comet without any optical aid? The answer is simple: If you can see all four stars in the Little Dipper's bowl, you should be able to see the comet.

  Happy Hunting.


Source: Space.com

Earth's Eclipse and Mars Opposition

Staff Writer, DL Mullan

Astronomy / Astrophysics

__________________________________

Even though the Earth cannot play host to an eclipse on Mars by going in between the Sun and Mars this evening, it is the same principle as our Moon interfering with our sunlight.

Tonight is one of those rare nights that the Earth and Mars are incredibly close. The red star in the Eastern to midheaven sky is Mars. 

Mars is bright now! It’s easy to see with the unaided eye from all parts of Earth – as bright as the sky’s brightest star. Mars is brighter than it’s been for six years, since December 2007.

And that's not all skywatchers: 

Quite literally, this is Mars’ day in the sun. Take advantage, for Mars won’t be returning to opposition again until May 22, 2016.

By the way, Mars is not precisely closest to Earth on April 8, the day of opposition. Our two worlds will be closest together on April 14. On that night, Mars and the star Spica will appear near the moon as the moon undergoes a total eclipse!

 

And to the West, view Orion, Spica, and Jupiter.

So break out those binoculars, telescopes, and dslr cameras, this one is for the history books. Well, at least your sky diary.

Source: EarthSky,