The Great Christmas Comet of 2011, 2011 W3 (Lovejoy) Options

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

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.

[Mongo]

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:

MAGNITUDE: 10 points for every degree of magnitude brighter than +3 (dark-sky; daytime magnitude gets counted separately)

No points in this category.

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.

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