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Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Comet Pojmanski

MORNING COMET: A new comet is emerging in the morning sky: Comet Pojmanski has been brightening since its discovery in January and can now be found just east of Venus before sunrise. It looks like a slightly fuzzy blue star of magnitude 5; binoculars reveal a small tail. A good morning to look is Monday, Feb. 27th, when the comet glides by the double star Algedi.

Sky Map

This from spaceweather.com (updates will likely follow).

--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Comet Pojmanski

Here is some more on the [url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11547425/]New comet brightens rapidly
Skywatchers can view object with binoculars, naked eye[/url]

comet is becoming poised for visibility for Northern Hemisphere skywatchers, and it is expected to put on its best showing during the last days of February and the first week of March in the dawn morning sky. Currently, Comet Pojmanski is shining at around magnitude 5, which is roughly about the same brightness as the faintest star in the bowl of the Little Dipper. Sharp-eyed observers in a dark, clear sky can actually glimpse it without any optical aid. 

As viewed from midnorthern latitudes, Comet Pojmanski will be positioned a little higher above the horizon each morning at the start of morning twilight. While it's only 5 degrees high on Feb. 27, this quickly improves to 10 degrees by March 2; 16 degrees by March 5 and 22 degrees (more than "two fists" up from the horizon) by March 9.

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Comet Pojmanski

Comet Pojmanski (C/2006 A1) has a bright green head," says Chris Schur who took this picture yesterday at dawn from Payson, Arizona:

Green comet

What makes a comet green? The atmosphere of the comet--called "the coma"--contains cyanogen (CN), a poisonous gas, and diatomic carbon (C2). Both of these substances glow green when illuminated by sunlight.

See for yourself. Comet Pojmanski (5th magnitude) is an easy target for backyard telescopes. Look for it left of Venus in the early morning sky:

*Left of Venus...that's a great "guidepost," considering how bright and unavoidable Venus is. 

Sky Map

And it's currently nearly straight to the left of Venus.  That's nicely convenient. 

Info/photo/sky map courtesy spaceweather.com

--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Comet Pojmanski

Pretty "two-tone" comet

*Pic taken March 3.  Photo sky span is equivalent to 2 full moons.  This comet is outward bound now and fading, though still visible with binoculars for folks in the northern hemisphere.

--Cindy

---

We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)