APOD: Lovejoy in the New Year (2014 Jan 03)

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APOD: Lovejoy in the New Year (2014 Jan 03)

Post by APOD Robot » Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:06 am

Image Lovejoy in the New Year

Explanation: A rival to vanquished Comet ISON in 2013, Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) still sweeps through early morning skies, captured in this starry scene on New Year's day. The frame stretches some 3.5 degrees across a background of faint stars in the constellation Hercules. Only just visible to the naked eye from dark sites before dawn, Lovejoy remains a good target for the northern hemisphere's binocular equipped skygazers. But this deep exposure shows off Lovejoy's beautiful tails and tantalizing greenish coma better than binocular views. Not a sungrazer, this Comet Lovejoy made its closest approach to the Sun around December 22, looping high above the ecliptic plane. Now headed for the outer Solar System, Lovejoy began the new year about 6.7 light-minutes from planet Earth.

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Re: APOD: Lovejoy in the New Year (2014 Jan 03)

Post by Beyond » Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:22 am

Hmm... IF the picture of Lovejoy was vertical, it would look very similar to some of the green fireworks from the Philippines in the Happy New Year thread. :yes:
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Re: APOD: Lovejoy in the New Year (2014 Jan 03)

Post by orin stepanek » Fri Jan 03, 2014 12:56 pm

A beautiful comet; too bad Ison pooped out on us! :D
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Re: APOD: Lovejoy in the New Year (2014 Jan 03)

Post by Boomer12k » Fri Jan 03, 2014 1:59 pm

What a lovely picture....I have written a song....

"Moooove alooooonng....little....comeeeet.....may you flyyyyy.... foreeeeevver....." :D

OK...I am still working on it....

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Re: APOD: Lovejoy in the New Year (2014 Jan 03)

Post by Chris Peterson » Fri Jan 03, 2014 2:41 pm

orin stepanek wrote:A beautiful comet; too bad Ison pooped out on us! :D
Although it pooped out on us visually, it may end up being one of the most scientifically valuable comets ever. It was very well observed, and in particular its breakup was well observed. Between that and some remaining opportunities to study debris, it may provide very valuable insight into cometary structure and composition. I expect some interesting papers in the next year or two.
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Starlog

Post by neufer » Fri Jan 03, 2014 4:32 pm

Image
Image
Chris Peterson wrote:
orin stepanek wrote:
A beautiful comet; too bad Ison pooped out on us! :D
Although it pooped out on us visually, it may end up being one of the most scientifically valuable comets ever. It was very well observed, and in particular its breakup was well observed. Between that and some remaining opportunities to study debris, it may provide very valuable insight into cometary structure and composition. I expect some interesting papers in the next year or two.
Last edited by neufer on Fri Jan 03, 2014 7:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: APOD: Lovejoy in the New Year (2014 Jan 03)

Post by Anthony Barreiro » Fri Jan 03, 2014 6:51 pm

This is a beautiful photo. Damien Peach creates amazing images of our solar system neighbors.

I've been watching Lovejoy through binoculars in the morning for the past couple of months. The comet is fairly close to the horizon at first light, and it's growing fainter. At least from my light-polluted city, Lovejoy is becoming a very marginal object. If you want to catch a glimpse of this comet this time around, you'd better hurry. Otherwise you'll have to wait 11,344 years for your next chance.
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Re: APOD: Lovejoy in the New Year (2014 Jan 03)

Post by Ron-Astro Pharmacist » Fri Jan 03, 2014 8:42 pm

Do I detect the dust tail deviating from the ion trail in this photo? Or is that a "pigment" of my imagination... It looks as though the dust trail may be curving a bit "upward" in the photo. How long after rounding the sun would it normally take to see separation between those aspects of the comets tail?

It is a beautiful photo! I hope our inversion lifts soon; I’d like to see it “in-person” too. Thanks for the heads-up Anthony!!!
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Re: APOD: Lovejoy in the New Year (2014 Jan 03)

Post by DavidLeodis » Sat Jan 04, 2014 11:45 pm

In the information in the top left corner of the image it states "2014-01-01 12:25 UTC". The explanation to this APOD indicates the image was taken on January 1st 2014, which is confirmed by the information. I am however confused by the 12:25 UTC time, as 12:25 is in the early afternoon when it would be daylight at Selsey, England, where the image is likely to have been taken. :?
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Re: APOD: Lovejoy in the New Year (2014 Jan 03)

Post by geckzilla » Sat Jan 04, 2014 11:55 pm

DavidLeodis wrote:In the information in the top left corner of the image it states "2014-01-01 12:25 UTC". The explanation to this APOD indicates the image was taken on January 1st 2014, which is confirmed by the information. I am however confused by the 12:25 UTC time, as 12:25 is in the early afternoon when it would be daylight at Selsey, England, where the image is likely to have been taken. :?
Maybe it is a 12 hour clock and the AM was omitted, but that seems pretty odd too. You should email him and ask. (The address is at the bottom.)
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Re: APOD: Lovejoy in the New Year (2014 Jan 03)

Post by neufer » Sun Jan 05, 2014 1:44 am

Click to play embedded YouTube video.
DavidLeodis wrote:
In the information in the top left corner of the image it states "2014-01-01 12:25 UTC". The explanation to this APOD indicates the image was taken on January 1st 2014, which is confirmed by the information. I am however confused by the 12:25 UTC time, as 12:25 is in the early afternoon when it would be daylight at Selsey, England, where the image is likely to have been taken. :?
Damian Peach in England in January :!: :?:

Not likely: http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php? ... 58#p213358
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Re: APOD: Lovejoy in the New Year (2014 Jan 03)

Post by geckzilla » Sun Jan 05, 2014 4:01 am

It's still 8 AM in Barbados at 12:30 UTC.
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Re: APOD: Lovejoy in the New Year (2014 Jan 03)

Post by neufer » Sun Jan 05, 2014 7:39 pm

geckzilla wrote:
It's still 8 AM in Barbados at 12:30 UTC.
Indeed. It seems to have been taken from somewhere in the Canadian Prairies.
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