briefing: coming comets

we’re super excited to start the new year with the first in a series of ‘briefings’ – which we’ll be publishing when there’s something big going on we think more people should know about

the first covers the approach of comets ISON and Pan-STARRS, which could make 2013 the best year for astronomy in living memory. we look at the prospects for seeing a comet in the daytime and catch up with the Hampstead Observatory’s Doug Daniels, who you may remember fondly from our rooftop Science Fair™ astronomy session back in 2010

printed on 100% recycled paper on our RISO printer, each double-sided A4 briefing is matched up to an online gallery with colour, animated and credited versions of each image

download as PDF


Comet ISON next to Lecar

Erik Bryssinck‘s observations show the movement of Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON), on the right side you can see the minor planet Lecar (4417)

 


ISON position

the position of the comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) at the time of best visibility in the northern hemisphere: December 11, 2013. for dynamic plotting, visit the JPL Small-Body Database. credit: NASA/JPL


Pan-STARRS scanning


the Pan-STARRS1 telescope mapping the sky. credit: PS1 Science Consortium

 


Comet McNaught

comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) over Villa Alemana, Chile. credit: Ruben Garcia A.


73P/Schwassmann–Wachmann

Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys image of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 fragment B on April 18, 19 and 20 2006. credit: NASA, ESA, H. Weaver (APL/JHU), M. Mutchler and Z. Levay (STScI). Animation from three images by Vesta.


discovery sequence of C/2011 L4

discovery sequence for Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4), showing the 19th-magnitude object’s motion against background stars from 9:20 to 10:23 Universal Time on June 6, 2011. credit: PS1 Science Consortium

 


discovery image of C/2011 L4

discovery image of Comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS) – the comet is shown by the red arrow. credit: Pan-STARRS


activity of comet C/2011 L4 (Panstarrs)


Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)

Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) imaged by Rolando Ligustri on September 25, 2012 from New Mexico with system IT11 of ITelescope.net


Pan-STARRS sequence

Comet C/2011 L4 (Pan-STARRS) imaged by the FRAM telescope


Comet ISON

Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) appears as a faint blob in this image taken at the Remote Astronomical Society Observatory near Mayhill, New Mexico. credit: E. Guido, G. Sostero, and N. Howes