Comet 96P/Machholz- We Could Be In For A Treat This Week.
So it looks like we may get ourselves a comet in our skies around the 22nd of July!
Woohoooo how excited am I to get a birthday comet (that Xmas comet just wasn't enough ). Okay, so it's 2 days after my birthday but close enough I say!
The latest issue of Astronomy Magazine is saying Quote, " we could be treated to a 7th magnitude streak hanging low in the evening sky during late July." Apparently we may get to see it as early as July 21st appearing low in the northwest sky moving eastward through Leo. From what I can gather so far it's supposed to come out from behind the sun on July 17th which is today. I couldn't find anywhere any update info so I chased up my facebook friend David J. Eicher (editor in chief of Astronomy Magazine) and he gave me some news on it today.
Quote:
Hi Suzy, right now 96P/Machholz shines at about magnitude 2.9 but it’s just 4.7° from the Sun tonight, much too close to see the comet. By the last week of the month Machholz will have faded to about 7th magnitude but will then be some 20° or more from the Sun, so it should be visible low in the western evening sky as it moves through Leo Minor, Leo, and Coma Berenices, from about July 22 through the end of August. For a complete ephemeris of the comet, see: http://scully.cfa.harvard.edu/cgi-bi...gi?d=c&o=0096P
Northerners get a much better view Suzy, not that much in it for us. We lost it in early July as it was brightening, and from my location at least I don't get it back till the end of July in evening skies at mid mag 9s and fading rapidly. Might be back a bit earlier from your location.
It's been giving a good show in SOHO fields recently (LASCO C2 & C3).
For South East Queensland,Just checked the ephemeris and it says the comet will be visible in our sky's till it fades from view, so as it heads away from the Sun it will be visible later and later every night on the 31st july it will be 9 deg above the horison and set at half past seven, but that is the 3 days before Full Moon, so very bright sky.
RobK, yes I've been looking at the SOHO images as well. I'm sorry you won't get to see it though.
RobF, Good luck If you do manage to get it, would you mind sharing the pic with us here pleeeease.
Jarrod, wishing you all the best as well in catching it.
Baz, I'm not so sure if you'll be successful going by what Ron has just said.
Liz & Warren up north should have a good chance shouldn't they.
I think we will all get to see it eventually, but not at it's brightest
as it is in visible for at least a month or more in small amateur scopes.
Cheers
Does anyone know what to expect from this comet?
I mean if it's mag 7 that puts it right on the limit but should be visible in a pair of bins.
Is it a big comet that can be drawn out with a regular dslr lens and longer exposure or a faint fuzzy that would require a scope?
Does anyone know what to expect from this comet?
I mean if it's mag 7 that puts it right on the limit but should be visible in a pair of bins.
Is it a big comet that can be drawn out with a regular dslr lens and longer exposure or a faint fuzzy that would require a scope?
I guess we have to wait and see.
Jarrod, if it is clear on Saturday evening Australian time, some of us may just get an image or an observation to see what it is like.
It has not long gone round the Sun so has not been visible till very recently.
I hope you can get a look as well
Cheers
Cheers Ron, I completely forget about the time difference sometimes.
Hopefully you guys can get out and bring some reports back, I wish you all clear skies and good luck.
I can pop down the road to the local plane spotting hangout which should give good enough horizon views but won't be lugging my scope with me.
Cheers Ron, I completely forget about the time difference sometimes.
Hopefully you guys can get out and bring some reports back, I wish you all clear skies and good luck.
I can pop down the road to the local plane spotting hangout which should give good enough horizon views but won't be lugging my scope with me.
Don't expect too much with this comet visually. By the time its high enough for our latitude it will be about magnitude 11 or so. What's interesting with this comet though is that it is getting successively closer to the sun with each return - so we might expect to see more fragmentation events like the one we witnessed this time around.
Hi Ron! Do you (or anyone) have the RA/Dec for the comet this coming Sat evening? Sounds like will be less than 9 degrees above horizon at sunset from what you're saying which doesn't sound promising, then moon will be about causing havoc?
Suzy, for Sydney 96P will not be visible after astronomical twilight until Jul 28, by which time CdC predicts it will be mag 9.4. By Aug 28 it will be mag 14, but will at least be visible till about 10pm. For the FNQers (eg Cairns), it should be just visible by Jul 25 at mag 8.4
Hi Ron! Do you (or anyone) have the RA/Dec for the comet this coming Sat evening? Sounds like will be less than 9 degrees above horizon at sunset from what you're saying which doesn't sound promising, then moon will be about causing havoc?
Rob, these figures come from CdC. The character set is UTF-8 and the file is really a csv (which the uploader will not accept).
Comet 96P/Machholz- We Could Be In For A Treat This Week.
). Okay, so it's 2 days after my birthday but close enough I say! 
but not at it's brightest 
Jarrod, if it is clear on Saturday evening Australian time, some of us may just get an image or an observation to see what it is like.
