When is comet lovejoy visible

On Wednesday the comet reached its closest point to Earth, a distance of 44m miles, but it will remain easy to spot for about the next two weeks. It appears bluish-green and is quite pretty, but not dramatic. I would call it a good, workmanlike comet. The comet was discovered on 17 August by Australian amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy, who spotted it in images taken by his eight-inch backyard telescope.

By Jan. In February, as Comet Lovejoy moves away from both the sun and Earth, it should fade rapidly. So for most observers, January will be the month to see it. Comet Lovejoy is traveling in a highly elongated orbit around the sun, and based on its current orbit, we can say with some degree of certainty that it has been here before, about 11, years ago.

As the comet sweeps through the inner solar system during the coming weeks, some of its orbital energy will be sapped, which will slightly reduce its orbital period. Its next scheduled appearance through our solar neighborhood is due around the year 10, He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmer's Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, New York.

Original article on Space. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community space. Joe Rao is Space. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmers' Almanac and other publications.

A newfound comet could put on a spectacular show in Earth's skies in early So -- do I chat with the man who found a new comet late last year, or do I go outside to see the comet?

If you're a space rock lover, you know the answer. I told Mr. Lovejoy I would email him my questions and dashed outside. The comet has Terry Lovejoy's name because he was the first person on Earth to spot it, an increasingly difficult accomplishment since he's competing with professional observatories. It's the fifth comet that he's discovered, but he denies having a secret formula for finding them. The comet currently is racing against the background stars at about 3 degrees per day, so even a few minutes of watching with a telescope should reveal its shift relative to background field stars.

By then it will likely have faded to around 5th magnitude, but still should make for an interesting object in both binoculars and small telescopes. Editor's note: Have you captured an amazing photo of Comet Lovejoy? If so, let us know. You can send us any comet photos or night sky views for a possible story or gallery by submitting images and comments to managing editor Tariq Malik at: spacephotos space.

He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmer's Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, N. Original article on Space. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more!