COMET C/2009 P1 GARRADD

TRACKING GUIDE

-Rahul ZotaBhuj, INDIA

www.skygazersbhuj.blogspot.com

www.comethunting.blogspot.comComet C/2009 P1 Garradd is heading for magnitude 6 and is the brightest comet in the current sky. It will make a nice binocular comet

from September this year to May 2012. Approximately 237 million km away, comet C2009/P1 (Garradd) is approaching earth and should reach perihelion just before Christmas whereas its closest approach to Earth will be in early March/2012.

In this document I have given magnitude info and charts of this comet. Hope this will be helpful for many amateur astronomers for tracking this comet.

COMET GARRADD FROM 1ST AUGUST TO 31ST DECEMBER 2011

DATE RA DEC MAGNITUDE1 August 2011 21h 34.2m +12o 30.44’ 7.95 August 2011 21h 20.12m +13o 48.65’ 7.8

10 August 2011 21h 1.077m +15o 20.77’ 7.615 August 2011 20h 39.64m +16o 43.05’ 7.520 August 2011 20h 19.86m +17o 52.07’ 7.425 August 2011 19h 58.92m +18o 45.57’ 7.330 August 2011 19h 38.63m +19o 23.01’ 7.2

5 Sept 2011 19h 15.98m +19o 48.45’ 7.210 Sept 2011 18h 58.94m +19o 56.28’ 7.115 Sept 2011 18h 43.77m +19o 55.04’ 7.120 Sept 2011 18h 30.51m +19o 47.58’ 7.025 Sept 2011 18h 19.10m +19o 36.46’ 7.030 Sept 2011 18h 9.40m +19o 23.81’ 7.0

5 Oct 2011 18h 1.27m +19o 11.37’ 7.010 Oct 2011 17h 54.47m +19o 0.29’ 7.015 Oct 2011 17h 49.03m +18o 51.71’ 7.020 Oct 2011 17h 44.42m +18o 45.67’ 6.925 Oct 2011 17h 40.71m +18o 43.03’ 6.930 Oct 2011 17h 37.76m +18o 44.23’ 6.95 Nov 2011 17h 35.07m +18o 51.23’ 6.910 Nov 2011 17h 33.41m +19o 2.01’ 6.915 Nov 2011 17h 32.19m +19o 17.56’ 6.820 Nov 2011 17h 31.34m +19o 38.17’ 6.825 Nov 2011 17h 30.78m +20o 4.29’ 6.730 Nov 2011 17h 30.46m +20o 36.27’ 6.7

5 Dec 2011 17h 30.32m +21o 14.65’ 6.610 Dec 2011 17h 30.28m +21o 59.70’ 6.620 Dec 2011 17h 30.35m +23o 46.44’ 6.525 Dec 2011 17h 30.34m +24o 55.88’ 6.530 Dec 2011 17h 30.20m +26o 15.72’ 6.431 Dec 2011 17h 30.16m +26o 33.06’ 6.4

CHART SHOWING COMET GARRADD’S POSITIONS FROM 18 DEC 2011 TO 2 MARCH 2012

COMET GARRADD FROM 1ST JANUARY TO 31ST MARCH 2012

DATE RA DEC MAGNITUDE1 Jan 2012 17h 30.09m +26o 50.80’ 6.45 Jan 2012 17h 29.75m +28o 7.02’ 6.410 Jan 2012 17h 29.02m +29o 54.58’ 6.315 Jan 2012 17h 27.82m +31o 57.46’ 6.320 Jan 2012 17h 25.98m +34o 17.77’ 6.325 Jan 2012 17h 23.27m +36o 57.80’ 6.230 Jan 2012 17h 19.32m +39o 59.70’ 6.25 Feb 2012 17h 12.27m +44o 8.94’ 6.1

10 Feb 2012 17h 3.55m +48o 4.13’ 6.1

DATE RA DEC MAGNITUDE15 Feb 2012 16h 51.00m +52o 22.66’ 6.1

20 Feb 2012 16h 32.44m +56o 58.94’ 6.125 Feb 2012 16h 4.88m +61o 39.49’ 6.11 Mar 2012 15h 23.34m +66o 0.30’ 6.25 Mar 2012 14h 37.76m +68o 43.59’ 6.2

10 Mar 2012 13h 23.46m +70o 35.48’ 6.315 Mar 2012 12h 4.46m +70o 6.66’ 6.420 Mar 2012 10h 59.32m +67o 34.87’ 6.625 Mar 2012 10h 13.71m +63o 52.46’ 6.831 Mar 2012 9h 39.44m +59o 0.22’ 6.9

COMET GARRADD’S POSITIONS FROM 1ST MARCH TO 1ST APRIL 2012

COMET GARRADD FROM 1ST APRIL TO 1ST MAY 2012

DATE RA DEC MAGNITUDE

1 Apr 2012 9h 31.80m +57o 29.07’ 7.15 Apr 2012 9h 18.58m +54o 14.06’ 7.310 Apr 2012 9h 7.11m +50o 24.48’ 7.515 Apr 2012 8h 59.52m +46o 53.67’ 7.820 Apr 2012 8h 54.6m +43o 42.08’ 8.025 Apr 2012 8h 51.63m +40o 48.68’ 8.21 May 2012 8h 49.87m +37o 32.28’ 8.5

COMET GARRADD’S POSITIONS FROM 1ST APRIL TO 30TH APRIL 2012

On 2nd August at the time of evening, comet C/2009 P1 Garradd will be just 41’ 56” away from the beautiful Globular Cluster Messier 15.

On August 14, the comet will be just 27’ away from the 4th

magnitude star Delphini. On August 26, before midnight, the comet will be just 18’ away

from the Globular Cluster Messier 71. On September 2 and 3, the comet will pass closely from the

Coathanger Asterism. On January 25, before dawn, high in the North East the comet

will be just 12’ 39” from the 4th magnitude star Hercules. On February 3 and 4, the comet will be within 38’ from a rich

Globular Cluster Messier 92. On March 16 around mid night, the comet will be just 13’ from

the 5th magnitude star 2 Draconis, and 37’ away from the 3.8th

magnitude star Draconis. On April 14, in the late evening, the comet will be within 32’ from

the 3rd magnitude star Ursa Majoris.

For high resolution charts visit the link below:

http://skygazersbhuj.blogspot.com/2011/07/comet-c2009-p1-garradd-tracking-guide.html