martinastro
Martin Mc Kenna
Global Moderator
Hero Member
Posts: 5182
Maghera, N. Ireland
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« Reply #30 on: January 06, 2009, 06:09:48 pm » |
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This info was posted by John F from the UKWW...
Comet Lulin is also one to watch for another reason.
It will be moving fast, quickly across the sky in february. Its movement will be fast enough to be viewable in seconds for the experienced observers with telescopes and in minutes for those with binoculars. See here for a little more detail from Sky & Telescope.
Quote:
Lulin’s closest approach to Earth, 0.41 a.u. (61 million km), occurs on February 24th, when the comet may reach a peak of magnitude 5. By now it's visible in late evening (after rising around the end of astronomical twilight) and remains in view for the rest of the night.
And it's speeding along at just over 5° per day! That's about 1 arcsecond every 5 seconds of time, enough to show obvious motion during a short telescopic observing session. Similarly, that's 1 arcminute per 5 minutes of time if you're using binoculars.
This is fast!
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