Major Comet Alert: C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS

 It seems that 2013 is the year of the comet, and indeed the first of two major comets this year is about to make it's presence known to those in the Northern Hemisphere.
 Comet C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS is currently zipping it's way through Southern Hemisphere, recently exiting the constellation Grus and about to enter Piscis Austrinus. L4 PANSTARRS has only been observable from the Southern Hemisphere thus far, but that's about to change in the very near future.
 Starting around the 2nd week of March, L4 will start to be visible low on the western horizon around sunset. Around March 10-11 the comet will pass closest to the Sun, and should appear the brightest during this time and will likely develop a long tail. It will continue the climb a little higher each day but will not seem to stray too far from the horizon.
 Early predictions of L4's apparent magnitude were set at magnitude 0 or brighter, perhaps as bright as -2. But current data suggests that L4 will only brighten as much as magnitude three. This is still well within the limits of naked eye visibility (the stars in the Big Dipper are around 3rd magnitude), however because of L4's proximity to the Sun and low position in the twilight sky the comet may be difficult to see. Binoculars and certainly a small telescope will be able to aid in observing L4 PANSTARRS.
 Keep in mind that comets are notoriously difficult to predict, and L4 may appear brighter or dimmer than predictions state. To add to the uncertainty, this is L4's first trip from the Oort Cloud, and therefore the first time it has been heated by the Sun.
 L4 PANSTARRS was discovered in June 2011 by the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii.

Asteroid Alert: 2012 DA14

 An asteroid is about to have a close encounter with Earth on February 15th.

 At 50 meters (160 ft) in diameter, asteroid 2012 DA14 will be making a close pass on the 15th of February at about 18,000 miles above the Earth's surface. That's below the orbit of geosynchronous satellites! Not to worry though, the asteroid is not a threat to Earth or the satellites orbiting above it. At it's closest approach at 19:25 Universal Time, it will brighten to around magnitude 8 and will be moving north in the sky at about 0.8° a minute.

 The best views of DA14 will be from East Europe to Asia and Australia while the asteroid moves through the constellation Virgo. By the time the sky darkens on the East Coast of North America, DA14 will have already fallen to magnitude 11. On the West Coast at dusk it will have dimmed to 12th magnitude and will be hanging around the constellation Ursa Minor.

It will still be possible to see DA14 from the USA but only with a larger telescope. And picking out a 11-12 magnitude rock from the background stars may be a bit difficult.

 To read more about 2012 DA14 and to learn how to observe it from your location follow this link:
 http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/Asteroid-DA14-to-Zip-Past-Earth-189052161.html

DA14's approximate location from Southern California on the night of Feb. 15, 9:00pm.

Conjunction: Mercury and Mars

  If your looking to spot some planetary action this month, then take a look at the close conjunction of Mercury and Mars on the evenings of Feb. 7th and 8th.

 Look west about half an hour after sunset on the 7th and 8th to spy these two planets hanging out together. On the 7th Mars will be about 3/4 of a degree to the upper left of Mercury, while on the 8th it will be even closer at 1/2 a degree to the lower left. You should be able to spot Mercury relatively easily, weather permitting. However Mars is significantly less bright and may require optical aid. Using a telescope will reveal Mercury is in a gibbous phase and approximately  80% illuminated. Mars will appear round. All planets inward of Earth will show phases just like our moon, whereas planets beyond us will always appear full.

Conjunction and Moon/Jupiter Photos

  Did you get to see the Moon/Jupiter conjunction yesterday evening? It was a pretty good show! The Moon came less than 1° from Jupiter, or less than one finger width apart. If you missed it, here is a image of the event:

As an added bonus, here are a couple of decent shots of the Moon and Jupiter by themselves, also taken last night:

 

 

 

Conjunction: Moon and Jupiter on January 21st

  Remember the Moon/Jupiter conjunction that occurred on Christmas Day? Well it looks like those two will soon be at it again.

 Just like on the 25th of last month, The Moon will once again come close to planet Jupiter on January 21st. This time, they will pass less than a degree from each other for most of North America.

 The Moon will be be in a waxing gibbous phase and should show off a wealth of detail along the terminator. Even though it will not be full, the waxing gibbous Moon will still be quite bright, so you might want to use a neutral density filter.

  Jupiter will be a real treat to observe. From about 6:00 to 7:40 PM PST the Great Red Spot will be visible. In addition, the Jovian moon Europa will transit the giant planet from 5:13 to 7:37 PM PST.

  Observers in most of South America will have a really nice treat: the Moon will occult, or cover up, the planet Jupiter.

Solar Activity Update: Sunspot AR1654

  Sunspot AR1654 is still trucking along the Sun's surface. It has grown stronger, and now harbors energy that can produce X class solar flares. Because the giant sunspot is now facing toward Earth, and explosions that occur in the near future will be directed our way. Now is a great time to observe and image AR1654, as well as the nearby sunspot AR1656. Another sunspot, AR1658 is further south and west, and along with the other two mark the most noticeable features on the solar disk at this time.

 Here is an image of AR1654 that I took a few days ago. I recorded an AVI using a Celestron NexImage 5 and stacked a few frames in Registax to get this final product:

  If you are interested in solar activity, visit the website www.spaceweather.com. Here you can find the latest information on current space weather conditions, aurora maps and a high resolution image of the Sun that is updated daily.
 

Solar Activity Update

   For the past few weeks, the activity on our Sun has been rather quiet. A few small sunspots would occasionally show up and skitter across the solar surface, but that was about it. A rather boring show, considering that the Sun is about to enter solar maximum. Well, the heat just got turned up a bit.
  The Sun's surface now sports a nice speckling of spots (say that five times fast), but the most noticeable is giant sunspot AR1654. This one is big enough to swallow up the Earth a few times over, and it's getting more active every day. AR1654, along with the smaller AR1652 have potential to release M-class solar flares. Looks like that break in solar activity may be coming to an end.
  If you are interested in taking a peak at the Sun, you can do so easily and rather cheaply. You can purchase white light solar filters for a wide range of telescopes at a reasonable price. For an even better bargain, you can buy solar film and make your own homemade filter. Seeing the Sun up close can be a rewarding experience, but it must be done SAFELY!!! 

   

Make sure your scope has a filter to begin with, as trying to look at the Sun without one will surely fry your eyeballs. And make sure it's the right type of filter. Those cheap solar filters that screw into an eyepiece are NOT safe, as the heat buildup from the sunlight can cause them to crack. The filtering must be done at the front of the telescope. Remember to put the filter on the scope, and make sure it is secure. You don't want the wind to blow it off as your looking through the eyepiece. Don't use the finderscope unless it too has a filter. Cap it or remove it from the telescope. And do not under any circumstances leave your telescope unattended. Accidents can happen, and it only takes a brief second to damage eyesight forever. Be safe!