IP: Comet-ological Alert!

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: John Wharton <wharton () shasta Stanford EDU>
Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2002 14:50:07 -0800
To: dave () farber net
Cc: wharton () shasta Stanford EDU
Subject: Comet-ological Alert!

Dave--

Here's a just-in-time astronomical bulletin; feel free to post it to IP
if there's time, and you think there'd be interest.

===

We'll probably be clouded out in the Bay Area, but elsewhere there
should be a once-in-forever viewing opportunity shortly after dusk
tonight (4/4), local time.  Comet Ikeya-Zhang, which under good viewing
conditions is currently naked-eye visible, will pass within the fringes
(!) of the Andromeda Galaxy.

(Such conjunctions are, shall we say, exceedingly rare...!  :-)

Ikeya-Zhang was not discovered until February 1, so it managed to escape
mention in the usual monthly astronomy magazines, and there has been
essentially zero coverage in the newspapers and broadcast media.  Full
details are best found on-line, e.g. at << www.spaceweather.com >>.

Photos and a detailed sky map for tonight's conjunction is posted at:

  << //www.spaceweather.com/images2002/04apr02/skymap_north_zoom.gif >>.


Under optimum conditions Comet Ikeya-Zhang has been viewable for just
the last couple of weeks, very low in the north-west sky as dusk falls
(local time).  The comet itself sets not long after that, or at least
gets lost in the glow and haze near the horizon, so one's best bet is to
be watching as the sky is first starting to get dark, be patient, and
hope for the best. 

Wide-field binoculars should help.  A conventional telescope probably
would not.  I've only been able to spot it once, Monday night, about
7:20pm PST (during half-time of the NCAA basketball championship! :-).

(I was using 7x50 binoculars, viewing from a well-lit residential
neighborhood in south Palo Alto, and was only able to see it for ~15
minutes before it disappeared in the western haze.)

Look sharp.  The comet will be getting a little dimmer each day, and
setting a little bit earlier, so the windows of viewing opportunity will
be getting more brief -- although the farther north you are the better,
if I read the charts correctly.)

If tonight is clouded out, the comet will still appear very near
Andromeda for the next night or two, but it won't be there for long.

Good luck!  

  --John Wharton



------ End of Forwarded Message

For archives see:
http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/