the comet is suppose to brighten and become visible to the naked eye on the 7th.
You wont need fancy equipment to watch a dazzling space rock soar across the night sky early next month.
The Lovejoy comet, known to the scientific community as C/2014 Q2, is visible with the aid of binoculars throughout much of January. And it will be at its brightest on Jan. 7, 2015.
People in the countryside far from the light population of major cities will get to scope out the comet with nothing but their eyes.
Terry Lovejoy, an Australian amateur astronomer, discovered the comet on Aug. 17, 2014, from his rooftop observatory in Brisbane, Queensland. It is his fifth comet discovery.
"To me, all comets are interesting because they are unpredictable. Comet C/2014 Q2 has brightened considerably, and might continue to brighten as it approaches perihelion (January 30)," meteorite specialist Dr. Denton Ebel said to Yahoo News in an interview.
Astronomers gauge the brightness of a star using a magnitude scale on which the brightest have lower numbers.
Joe Rao, a guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium, thinks it could reach magnitude 4.6 around Jan. 7, when its closest to Earth.
This, he explained on Space.com, would make it the brightest comet in the night sky since Comet Holmes in October 2007.
Rao said that Lovejoy will be slightly brighter than Eta Ursae Minoris, which is the faintest of the four stars that form the Little Dippers bowl. So, if you can see that, you will be able to see the comet.
here in northeast florida thursand fri nights are going to be the first opportunities to see the comet, which should be above the horizon for about an hour and two hours respectively before moonrise complicates the viewing
You wont need fancy equipment to watch a dazzling space rock soar across the night sky early next month.
The Lovejoy comet, known to the scientific community as C/2014 Q2, is visible with the aid of binoculars throughout much of January. And it will be at its brightest on Jan. 7, 2015.
People in the countryside far from the light population of major cities will get to scope out the comet with nothing but their eyes.
Terry Lovejoy, an Australian amateur astronomer, discovered the comet on Aug. 17, 2014, from his rooftop observatory in Brisbane, Queensland. It is his fifth comet discovery.
"To me, all comets are interesting because they are unpredictable. Comet C/2014 Q2 has brightened considerably, and might continue to brighten as it approaches perihelion (January 30)," meteorite specialist Dr. Denton Ebel said to Yahoo News in an interview.
Astronomers gauge the brightness of a star using a magnitude scale on which the brightest have lower numbers.
Outstanding images of brightening Comet #Lovejoy Q2. This one by Gerald Rhemann SW #Africa. http://t.co/R9gNN3Ol8V pic.twitter.com/3jFICibjPr
Epic Cosmos (@EpicCosmos) December 30, 2014
At the time of its first sighting, the comet was burning at an apparent magnitude of 15, but that number continued to drop, and the comet is expected to reach its brightest point next month. Epic Cosmos (@EpicCosmos) December 30, 2014
Joe Rao, a guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium, thinks it could reach magnitude 4.6 around Jan. 7, when its closest to Earth.
This, he explained on Space.com, would make it the brightest comet in the night sky since Comet Holmes in October 2007.
Rao said that Lovejoy will be slightly brighter than Eta Ursae Minoris, which is the faintest of the four stars that form the Little Dippers bowl. So, if you can see that, you will be able to see the comet.
here in northeast florida thursand fri nights are going to be the first opportunities to see the comet, which should be above the horizon for about an hour and two hours respectively before moonrise complicates the viewing
