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
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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. |
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Jan 12 2012, 01:58 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 723 Joined: 13-June 04 Member No.: 82 |
From Comets-ml post #19236 by Ian Cooper:
QUOTE It cleared unexpectedly here just on dark. The moon had been up for 5 minutes (9.25 hrs U.T.) and evening twilight was still dwindling, but the Mag Clouds and the comet were in the darkest part of the sky and culminating at about 55 degrees high for me.
I could detect it as a persistent, elongated haze seemingly attached to the Bar of the LMC at the Tarantula nebula end. I could just see it with direct vision a few times. The cleanest view I had was at 9.36 U.T. by which time I was reasonably dark adapted and the comet's part of the sky was still relatively black. I traced the tail to 8 degrees before it merged with the LMC. Binoculars did not improve the view. Transparency was not great for most of the time with clouds trying to form in that area, but they moved on and leaving the constant glow behind. It reminded me of some very faint spindle galaxies that I have observed over the years. |
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