Comets Easy to find, but only if you know what to look for - Dark location Patience Methodical
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CometsEasy to find, but only if you know what to look for -
•Dark location
•Patience
•Methodical
•CarefulIf you think you’ve found a comet, you should first
Check a good atlas (galaxy, nebula, etc.)
Check list of currently visible or other newly discovered comets (Websites)
Check it out again the next evening - note any motion (position change)
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If it passes all these tests, then send it in to the IAU Central Bureau for confirmation.•your name •your address and contact details (e-mail address) •date and UT time of observation •observation method (e.g., naked eye, visual telescopic observation, photographic, or telescopic CCD) •specific details on instrumentation (aperture size, f/-ratio, etc.) and exposures (type of film or CCD, length of exposure, etc.) •observation site (name of location, giving either city/town and state/province/country, or some other geographical name nearby); longitude and latitude and elevation above sea level can be useful
If all goes well and they confirm it, you’ll become Immortal!
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Comet names
Still use the old discoverer naming system - but when too many are discovered by the same person (or project), this is too confusing
First part of the name
P/ - comet with period < 200 years
C/ - comet with period > 200 years
D/ - comet that disappeared
A/ - oops, an asteroid
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Year of discovery, followed by 1/2 month of discovery code and order of discoveryJanuary = A, B July=N,OFebruary = C, D August=P,QMarch = E, F September=R,SApril = G, H October=T,UMay = J,K November=V,WJune=L,M December=X,Y
On occasion some look asteroidal, and get a bit of an asteroid name added in. C/2001 HT50 (LINEAR-NEAT) C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) C/2002 O7 (LINEAR) C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) 2P/Encke 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 143P/Wolf-Harrington 65P/Gunn157P/Tritton
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Brightness of a comet
How do you measure it?
One method - defocus the telescope/binoculars
How bright should it be?
Depends on -
Distance from Sun
Distance from Earth
Towards/away from the Sun
Size/age of the comet
How close to the Sun in the sky
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Comet brightness estimate
V = H + 2.5 n log (r) + 5 log
V=integrated magnitude
H = magnitude if 1 A.U. from the Sun, 1 A.U from Earth, also considered the “absolute magnitude”
n = typically 4
r = Sun-comet distance (A.U.)
= Earth-comet distance (A.U)
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Orbital elements for comets – for orbit prediction/trackinge = eccentricity (0-1) i = inclination (degrees)T = date of Perihelion q = perihelion distance (AU)= longitude of the ascending node (degrees)= argument of the perihelion (degrees)
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Why study comets?
• Primordial• Two populations• Influence of solar winds• Source of meteor showers• See break-ups• Unpredictable – potential impacts• They’re just cool
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Comet McNaught C/2006 P1
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17/P Comet Holmes
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Asteroids
+160,000 observed
+14,500 named
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And how are asteroids named?
Old names - Names of gods, goddesses, people (real)
New names - Year, 1/2 Month designation (same as comets) and order of discovery (also a letter, no I)
2008NA, 2008NB, 2008NC,....2008NZ,
2008NA1, 2008NB1,....2008NZ1
2008NA2, 2008NB2,................
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Why study asteroids?
Can determine radius/size using occultation events - very precise timing, location dependent.
Brightness variations - composition, rotation, size
Asteroids found by using before-after comparisons of a region.
Asteroids tend to be found in the ecliptic.
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Meteorites - fragments of comets or asteroids
Most common Stony
Macrometeorites - big ones, look for burned features, crusts, unusual location, color, metal detectors can help
Micrometeorites - small ones, rain down continually
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Iron - Nickel Meteorites
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Martian Meteorites
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Micrometeorites
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Collecting micrometeorites
•Magnets
•Collecting Dish/Surface
•Dishes/Containers
•Snow
Use microscope to distinguish micrometeorites from crap