IPB

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

9 Pages V   1 2 3 > »   
Reply to this topicStart new topic
The Great Christmas Comet of 2011, 2011 W3 (Lovejoy)
Guest_Sunspot_*
post 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.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Guest_Sunspot_*
post Dec 14 2011, 09:22 AM
Post #2





Guests






Here it comes

http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov//data/REPRO...0830_c3_512.jpg
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
titanicrivers
post Dec 15 2011, 04:14 AM
Post #3


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 697
Joined: 1-April 08
From: Minnesota !
Member No.: 4081



And check out the SOHO Movie Theater! Choose LASCO C3 and the latest 20 or so images.
http://sohodata.nascom.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/soho_movie_theater
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Mongo
post Dec 15 2011, 07:59 PM
Post #4


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 723
Joined: 13-June 04
Member No.: 82



Spaceweather

COMET LOVEJOY UPDATE: Matthew Knight of the Lowell Observatory and JHU-APL reports: "As of 16:30 UT on Dec. 15th, Comet Lovejoy has reached magnitude -3, possibly brighter. It is starting to saturate SOHO images even with narrow filters and shorter than normal exposure times." The comet is now brighter than Jupiter, but not quite as bright as Venus. If these developments continue apace, Comet Lovejoy could become visible to the naked eye in broad daylight before the end of Dec. 15th.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
stevesliva
post Dec 15 2011, 08:05 PM
Post #5


Senior Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 1576
Joined: 14-October 05
From: Vermont
Member No.: 530



QUOTE (Mongo @ Dec 15 2011, 03:59 PM) *
If these developments continue apace, Comet Lovejoy could become visible to the naked eye in broad daylight before the end of Dec. 15th.


NFW. I'll have to squint through some clouds.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Mongo
post Dec 15 2011, 08:31 PM
Post #6


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 723
Joined: 13-June 04
Member No.: 82



Same here. Right now it's overcast from horizon to horizon where I am. mad.gif
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Juramike
post Dec 16 2011, 02:06 AM
Post #7


Senior Member
****

Group: Moderator
Posts: 2785
Joined: 10-November 06
From: Pasadena, CA
Member No.: 1345



It lives!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=playe...p;v=LBJ2mkI1rSc


--------------------
Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Mongo
post Dec 16 2011, 03:52 AM
Post #8


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 723
Joined: 13-June 04
Member No.: 82



Here is another video:

http://sdoisgo.blogspot.com/2011/12/phoeni...et-emerges.html

I should add that the comet may look faint in these videos, but the cameras are optimized to stare at the surface of the sun. The fact that the comet is visible at all indicates its tremendous brightness.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Explorer1
post Dec 16 2011, 08:09 AM
Post #9


Senior Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 2073
Joined: 13-February 10
From: Ontario
Member No.: 5221



That's one tough cookie....
Any estimate for how close it got (in terms of solar radii)?
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
jamescanvin
post Dec 16 2011, 08:31 AM
Post #10


Senior Member
****

Group: Moderator
Posts: 2262
Joined: 9-February 04
From: Melbourne - Oz
Member No.: 16



140,000 km (1.2 solar radii) above the surface


--------------------
Twitter
Please support unmannedspaceflight.com by donating here
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Guest_Sunspot_*
post Dec 16 2011, 09:48 AM
Post #11





Guests






Seems to have left it's tail behind. ohmy.gif

http://lasco-www.nrl.navy.mil/javagif/gifs...216_0930_c3.gif
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Mongo
post Dec 16 2011, 02:45 PM
Post #12


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 723
Joined: 13-June 04
Member No.: 82



QUOTE (jamescanvin @ Dec 16 2011, 08:31 AM) *
140,000 km (1.2 solar radii) above the surface


Actually, the radius of the Sun is 695,500 km, so Comet Lovejoy approached to 0.2 solar radii above the photosphere.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Toma B
post Dec 16 2011, 04:08 PM
Post #13


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 648
Joined: 9-May 05
From: Subotica
Member No.: 384



QUOTE (Sunspot @ Dec 16 2011, 11:48 AM) *
Seems to have left it's tail behind. ohmy.gif


That tail was so OUT it's growing itself new HOT tail. rolleyes.gif

http://lasco-www.nrl.navy.mil/javagif/gifs...216_1530_c3.gif


--------------------
The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful.
Jules H. Poincare

My "Astrophotos" gallery on flickr...
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Mongo
post Dec 16 2011, 10:12 PM
Post #14


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 723
Joined: 13-June 04
Member No.: 82



It is still very soon, but it appears that Comet Lovejoy is actually brighter than it was at the same distance from the Sun on the way in, and continues to brighten. (This is not a total surprise -- historically, close sun-grazers have tended to be more spectacular after perihelion than before, provided they survive it.) It could end up being a brilliant comet in the southern hemisphere in the coming days, once it moves a bit further from the Sun's glare.

Quicktime movie

(The nucleus's brightness can be very crudely estimated from the size of the white oversaturation bars extending from the nucleus. They are already longer than any seen by this camera on the inbound trajectory.)
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Guest_Sunspot_*
post Dec 16 2011, 10:47 PM
Post #15





Guests






The Ion tail has reappeared too.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

9 Pages V   1 2 3 > » 
Reply to this topicStart new topic

 



RSS Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 19th March 2024 - 07:25 AM
RULES AND GUIDELINES
Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting.

IMAGE COPYRIGHT
Images posted on UnmannedSpaceflight.com may be copyrighted. Do not reproduce without permission. Read here for further information on space images and 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.