|
|
|
|
|
Daniel Lynn of Australia found a new bright comet on July 13. He was using 10x50 binoculars. The comet is now visible low in our western sky. The ephemerides for Comet Lynn can be found on page 6.
Comet Lee travels north of the Sun and into the morning sky. Meanwhile, Comet LINEAR (1998 T1) and Periodic Comet Tempel 2 are in our evening southern sky.
The Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite discovered eight sungrazer comets this month; all were headed into the sun. The LINEAR program in New Mexico found three more faint comets, while the Sloan Digital Sky Survey found one faint comet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMET HUNTING NOTES: Fifty-two of the 80 comets discovered by amateurs over the past 24 years have perihelion distances of less than 1.0 Astronomical Unit (AU). At the extremes, we have a minimum distance of 0.11 AU for a comet found by me in 1985, and a maximum distance of 3.32 AU for a comet found by K.
Cernis in 1983.
Now contrast that to the SOHO satellite, whose discoveries have perihelion distances of less than .01 AU, and to LINEAR, which is finding many comets that boast perihelion distances of more than 3.0 AU.
TVS NOTE: Do you have a favorite vintage comet photo gathering dust? Bring it to the barbecue...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
