Starship Asterisk*

PanSTARRS over Parkes

Explanation: Sweeping quickly through southern skies on March 5, Comet PanSTARRS (C/2011 L4) follows the Sun toward the western horizon in this twilight scene. In the foreground is Australia's CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope, a 64 meter wide steerable dish that is no stranger to the space age exploration of comets. In March of 1986 the Parkes dish tracked ESA's Giotto spacecraft as it flew by Comet Halley and received the first ever closeup images of Halley's nucleus. At naked-eye visibility, Comet PanSTARRS made its closest approach to planet Earth on March 5. Its closest approach to the Sun will be on March 10. Heading north, PanSTARRS now begins a much anticipated appearance low in the northern hemisphere's western skies after sunset. On March 12, look for the comet hugging the western horizon near a young crescent Moon.

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"Run, run, comet...."

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i guess that i have seen a lot of panstarrs pictures, but the best pictures are the ones with lakes, mountains and snow

I tracked down the image details. http://spaceweather.com/gallery/indiv_u ... d_id=77264
On the full-resolution image, you can easily see the small streaks of the background stars. What amazes me is how far the stars appear to move in 5 seconds. Today's APOD was through a five-inch lens, probably a refractor.

We are hoping for clear skies, but the weather may not cooperate.

Psnarf wrote:I tracked down the image details. http://spaceweather.com/gallery/indiv_u ... d_id=77264
On the full-resolution image, you can easily see the small streaks of the background stars. What amazes me is how far the stars appear to move in 5 seconds. Today's APOD was through a five-inch lens, probably a refractor.

Clever of you to locate the original, Psnarf - I couldn't find it! The full-resolution image is splendid. And, for me, the link via the Parkes Radio Telescope, with Halley's Comet is rather poignant.

I suppose that the little 'star trails' are actually the result of tracking the comet? The Apod text says that it is "sweeping quickly".

I feel it would be good to mention that Parks made it possible for the Apollo 11 television broad casts from the moon!

MargaritaMc wrote:I suppose that the little 'star trails' are actually the result of tracking the comet? The Apod text says that it is "sweeping quickly".

No, there was no tracking at all. If you look at the head of the comet, you'll see that it is elongated just like the stars. Near the celestial equator (the comet was only 17° south of it when this image was made) the stars move at about 15 arcseconds per second of time. Correct for the declination by taking its cosine, and the stellar movement is 14.3 arcsec/s. The camera image scale (5.7 um pixels, 150 mm FL lens) is 7.85 arcsec/pixel. That means the stars should be 14.3 arcsec/s * 5 s / 7.85 arcsec/pixel = 9.1 pixels long. And measuring them in the actual image: right around 9 pixels!

I love it when things work out the way they should.

Chris Peterson wrote:I love it when things work out the way they should.

Is Art aka "neufer" ok? He hasn't posted anything in 3 days y'all. Here is where I would expect a clip from "The A Team" ---- "I love it when a plan comes together."

BDanielMayfield wrote:

Chris Peterson wrote:I love it when things work out the way they should.

Is Art aka "neufer" ok? He hasn't posted anything in 3 days y'all. Here is where I would expect a clip from "The A Team" ---- "I love it when a plan comes together."

I've been wondering about neufer, too. Do any of the longer- time members of asterisk know how to contact him other than via this bulletin board?

Margarita

I've seen him take leaves of absence before. He may just be sunning himself on a beach with no Wifi access to the 'net, lucky him.

Rob

rstevenson wrote:
I've seen him take leaves of absence before. He may just be sunning himself on a beach with no Wifi access to the 'net, lucky him.

I'm just getting over the flu (lucky me) ...and taking a break as well.

neufer wrote: I'm just getting over the flu (lucky me) ...and taking a break as well.

Sorry about the flu, Art - but glad you are back.

Margarita