The Great Christmas Comet of 2011, 2011 W3 (Lovejoy) |
The Great Christmas Comet of 2011, 2011 W3 (Lovejoy) |
Guest_Sunspot_* |
Dec 2 2011, 09:59 PM
Post
#1
|
Guests |
http://sungrazer.nrl.navy.mil/index.php?p=.../birthday_comet
Possible very bright sungrazing comet coming mid December - Comet Lovejoy C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy) Information in the link above. |
|
|
Dec 23 2011, 02:00 PM
Post
#2
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 723 Joined: 13-June 04 Member No.: 82 |
Now that Lovejoy is "officially" a Great Comet, I have decided to update the ranking of the Great Comets of the past several centuries that I had done here at the time of comet McNaught in 2007.
The point scale went like this: QUOTE MAGNITUDE: 10 points for every degree of magnitude brighter than +3 (dark-sky; daytime magnitude gets counted separately) No points in this category. QUOTE TAIL: 1 point for every two degrees of length of naked-eye visible tail in dark sky DURATION VISIBLE: 1 point for every month naked-eye visible in dark sky The last confirmed report I read gave a tail length of about 28 degrees, for 14 points. I also assume the minimum duration of visibility of one month, for one additional point. QUOTE BONUS POINTS: 2 visible tails = 10 points 5 visible tails (West 1976) = 20 points 15 degree long anti-tail (Arend-Roland 1957) = 10 points curved tail (Donati 1858) = 5 points 'bright' tail (Daylight 1910) = 10 points 'brilliant' tail (Ikeya-Seki 1965, Great September 1882) = 20 points circumpolar all night (Hyakutake 1996, Tebbutt 1861) = 10 points Mag. -3 in daylight (West 1976) or Mag. -5 in daylight (Daylight 1910) = 10 points Mag. -8 in daylight (Great March 1843) = 15 points Mag. -15 in daylight (Ikeya-Seki 1965) or Mag. -17 in daylight (Great September 1882) = 30 points While currently fading, the tail was considered bright earlier, for 10 points, and it will be circumpolar all night after New Years Day, for another 10 points. It also reached about magnitude -4 when rounding the sun, for 10 additional points. There were definitely two visible tails, a dust dail and an ion tail, for 10 points. While its tail is curved, it was not curved strongly enough to gain more points. This may change as the viewing geometry changes. Using these numbers, comet Lovejoy currently garners 55 points. The updated list: 1861 123 pts Tebbutt 2007 105 pts McNaught 1882 101 pts Great September Comet 1910 95 pts P/Halley 1976 90 pts West 1996 78 pts Hyakutake 1997 73 pts Hale-Bopp 1858 68 pts Donati 1965 64 pts Ikeya-Seki 1970 61 pts Bennett 1957 57 pts Arend-Roland 2011 55 pts Lovejoy 1910 54 pts Daylight Comet 1811 52 pts Great Comet 1927 51 pts Skjellerup-Maristany 1843 50 pts Great March Comet 1874 46 pts Coggia 1881 42 pts Great Comet 1807 37 pts Great Comet 1853 37 pts Klinkerfues 1835 35 pts P/Halley 1957 35 pts Mrkos 1860 31 pts Great Comet 1911 29 pts Beljawsky 1911 28 pts Brooks 1819 25 pts Tralles 1854 24 pts Great Comet Here is the same list in reverse chronological order: 2011 55 pts Lovejoy 2007 105 pts McNaught 1997 73 pts Hale-Bopp 1996 78 pts Hyakutake 1976 90 pts West 1970 61 pts Bennett 1965 64 pts Ikeya-Seki 1957 57 pts Arend-Roland 1957 35 pts Mrkos 1927 51 pts Skjellerup-Maristany 1911 29 pts Beljawsky 1911 28 pts Brooks 1910 95 pts P/Halley 1910 54 pts Daylight Comet 1882 101 pts Great September Comet 1881 42 pts Great Comet 1874 46 pts Coggia 1861 123 pts Tebbutt 1860 31 pts Great Comet 1858 68 pts Donati 1854 24 pts Great Comet 1853 37 pts Klinkerfues 1843 50 pts Great March Comet 1835 35 pts P/Halley 1819 25 pts Tralles 1811 52 pts Great Comet 1807 37 pts Great Comet |
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 31st October 2024 - 11:41 PM |
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE COPYRIGHT |
OPINIONS AND MODERATION Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators. |
SUPPORT THE FORUM Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member. |