Comet 17/P Holmes - Outburst

Hi All,


Till October 23, 2007 Comet Holmes was fibble small dot of magnitude 17 that is almost 25,000 times fainter than faintest star we can see in clear dark sky with unaided eyes. But on 24th Comet suddenly brightened to 7th magnitude and with in few hours it reached to magnitude 3, almost 400,000 times increase in brightness !!!


Now comet is visible to naked eye like a star in costallation Perseus.


About Comet Holmes...


Comet Holmes was discovered by Amateur astronomer Edwin Holmes in 1892. While he was observing Andromeda Galaxy comet was discoved, and then comet reached to 4th magnitude.
It fainted and again in Jaunary 1893 it brightened 100 fold.


It seems to be the outbursting is the nature of Comet Holmes.


The comet orbits the Sun once in 7 years at a distance of about 200 million miles (compared to Earth’s 93-million-mile orbit). It was observed again in 1899 and 1906But after that comet was not seen for almost 60 years!!! Based on a calculations by Marsden, the comet was recovered in 1964.


No body knows exact reason for these OutBursts !!!

Currently the comet is at magnitude ~2.5 and becomes small fuzzy ball in telescope with bright starlike necleaus. we are not sure how long comet will remain visible....



Here is my sketch of Comet on October 25, 2007

These photographs are taken using mobile camera over my 4" Newtonian telescope. The Quality of photos is very poor but it gives you idea how bright the comet is, to being captured so easily using mobile...




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And here is the picture of Comet by R. Richins on October 24, 2007. This is how comet look in small telescope...

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For those who wish to go out and see comet below is the Map of Sky...

So check out your sky at night....

More Info at WiKi

Wish you clear sky...

Sameer

2007 Aurigid Meteor Shower Photos

Hi all,

We all know on 1st September 2007, there was rare Meteor Shower "Aurigid". It was indeed spectacular, and unfortunately nothing was seen from India.

Here are some of the photos taken by various observers...


For More images and Observation Reports see :

Spaceweather.com:  2007 Aurigid Meteor Shower photo gallery

2007 Aurigids - The Aurigid Meteor Shower Observing Campaign


Wish you clear Sky
Sameer....

Comet C/2006 VZ13 ( LINEAR ) is here

Hi Friends,
Comet VZ13 Linear is now at its brightest, software predicts at about 9.8-9.7 mag but actual observed magnitude is 7.8. But as we know Its Mansoon time and here and sky is almost cloudy all day and night. But the ray of hope is Sattelite picture of Indian sub-continet shows Clouds are vanishing so in few days we might get clear sky. So let get prepared to watch this bright comet.


Following are the map prepared from software Cartes du Ciel (Mine Favourate). Stars are down to 9th Magnitude and small circle in the center of each image is 1 degree circle.

Postion is plotted at the interval of 1 day at 20:00 hrs when comet will be at zenith most of the days.

Click on Images for Bigger View..











Do post your observation at this blog or on Our Group..

Best of luck and have a clear sky
Sameer

Welcome to Astro Evnets Blog

Moon Setting in Yevur Hills

Lunar Observation Session on May 27

Before the mansoon starts we planned observation session on May 26, 2007. We planned to go away from Mumbai to Murbad area for observation. But at Last moment plan failed as we realize that moon will be in sky till 2:45 am leaving us very short period of time for DSO, and that to in cloudy sky. So alternately we planned Moon Observation from comfort of our Home. And here are some of the observations made on May 27, 2007 (:D – Not on 26).

I have decided to do some sketching of Moon, aiming at some domes & rills. Using 4” telescope I targeted Moon at around 11:00 pm, but unfortunatly my all eyepiece combinations provided with only 160X L. And “Jale Pe Namak” sky condition was so good that I could have cranked to 300X easily with 4” !!!!

Well due to lack of Magnification I could not observe Domes as Planned and at somewhat low magnification Sketching is too difficult so I changed my plans from sketching to Photographing :)

Using 4X Barlow coupled with 25mm Eyepiece I used my Mobile Camera, I took some snaps by painstakingly centering tiny Mobile Camera lens over small eyepiece eye lens. There is lot of shaky images :(. So I decided to video shoot using mobile, I know that it will give me small image size but still it is the best thing I can do to get better results as I can choose good frames from 1000s of available. Here to my surprise I do get some acceptable results, If Camera would have mounted on Eyepiece instead of Hand held it would be much better that what I got…

Here are what I got...
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1. Copernicus View One 2 unprocessed Frames .


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2. Copernicus View Two – 4 unprocessed Frames .


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3. Gassendi - 2 unprocessed Frames .


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4. J. Herschel – I have seen this amazing crater for the first Time, It surprising that I have never come across this big crater before. May be the conditions on May 27 were favorable at crater was rightly placed at terminator. The details visible in telescope were really beautiful as you can guess from this low resolution photo.


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5. Tyco region - The bright white one is Tyco – Don’t think I have copied it from somewhere by Looking at “DIVx” watermark :D I have to convert file from 3gp format (This is the format Mobile camera captures video) to AVI so that I can extract frames using Microsoft Movie Maker.


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6. North of Tyco region


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I will try to find out Names of all prominent craters and other features and will update in my Celestial Log.

I know these photos are not of great quality and even web camera attached to telescope can produce much much better results but these are captured using very crude method and no setup at all just telescope set for visual observation and a Mobile with camera :).

I am posting these photos to make other amatures think of Astrophotography is, also as simple as using ordinary camera; and not always a very specialize stream of Photography which requires costly equipments and great skills!!! Those who have basic digital cameras can produce much better results than this.

Have a Nice Day

Sameer

Mars Occultation of April 14 2007

Hi friends

Here are some of the pics of Mars Occultation on April 14, 2007 morning, taken with 4" Telescope and Mobile Camera using AFocal Method (Eyepiece and Camera lens in place).

1. 5:44 AM


2. 5:57 AM - Shivering due to Cold ??? - [:D] Just Kidding


3. 5:59 - Touch Down


4. 6:24 AM - Reappearance - faint white dot below core


5. 6:25 AM - Little more contrast but no help :(


Following Photos were taken while waiting for Mars to Reappear.

At 6:05 AM


At 6:06 AM


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This one was taken on March 24, 2007 -

Moon was setting in to Trees of "Yeur Hills" at 11:44 PM. Thin Clouds and polluted horizon make it hard to achive sharp focus...



Have a Nice Time Always
Sameer :)

Partial Solar Eclipse 19 March 2007 - Photos

Hi friends

Here are the pics of Todays that is 19 March 2007 Partial Solar Eclipse. I used my new Mobile to take these photos.... :)

Place: Thane
Camera: Sony Erricson K750i.
Time: Between 6:53 AM to 6:58 AM.
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Please post your comments and photos of eclipse.

- Sameer Thakur

Photos of Lunar Eclipse of March 3

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These are Photographs of Lunar Eclipse taken By Shailesh Sansare on the night of 3-4 March 2007.

His Equipment
Telescope:= 4" Newtonion Telescope & Konus Spotting Scope 60mm aperture.
Camera:= NIKON E5700 - 5 mega pixel
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ISO := 200
Expo:= 1 Sec
F/Number:= 2.4
Tele:= 280 mm
Time: March 4, 2007 : 6:43 am
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ISO := 200
Expo:= 1/4 Sec
F/Number:= 10
Tele:= 1000 mm - using AFocal method
Time: March 4, 2007 : 6:27 am
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ISO := 200
Expo:= 1/2 Sec
F/Number:= 10
Tele:= 1000 mm - using AFocal method
Time: March 4, 2007 : 6:27 am
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ISO := 200
Expo:= 1/2 Sec
F/Number:= 10
Tele:= 1000 mm - using AFocal method (Konus Spotting Scope)
Time: March 4, 2007 : 6:41 am

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ISO := 200
Expo:= 1 Sec
F/Number:= 10
Tele:= 1000 mm - using AFocal method (Konus Spotting Scope)
Time: March 4, 2007 : 6:42 am
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Please post your comments and if you have taken photos of eclipse please mail me with details i will post it on blog.

Sameer Thakur
thakursam@gmail.com

Total Lunar Eclipse of March 03

Mark Next Saturday Night in your calendar not just for HOLI but also for something more as First Lunar Eclipse of the year is on Night of 3-4 March 2007.

This will be First Total Lunar Eclipse after almost 2.5 years. So it one of the long awaited one and it will be visible in India. Almost all India will see Eclipse from Start to End except Eastern Part of India as for then Moon will set before End of Eclipse, but Totality will be visible from all places in India. Not just that this eclipse is visible from every Continent around the world.

Following are the Eclipse Timings for India in IST

Penumbral Eclipse Begins: ------ 01:48:11

Partial Eclipse Begins: ------ 03:00:22

Total Eclipse Begins: ------ 04:14:13

Greatest Eclipse: ------ 04:50:56

Total Eclipse Ends: ------ 05:27:37

Partial Eclipse Ends: ------ 06:41:28

Penumbral Eclipse Ends: ------ 07:53:44

On March 4 Morning

Moon will set at 7:03 AM

And Sun Rises at 6:56 AM

The eclipse occurs at the descending node, 3.2 days before apogee and 1.9 days after the Moon occults Saturn (northern and eastern Europe). During the eclipse, the Moon is in southern Leo, about 13º east of the 1.3-magnitude star Regulus (alpha Leo). The Moon's orbital trajectory takes it through the northern half of Earth's umbral shadow. Although the eclipse is not central, the total phase still lasts 73 minutes.

The Moon's path through Earth's shadows as well as a map illustrating worldwide visibility of the event are shown in following figure

At the instant of greatest eclipse (23:21 UT) the umbral magnitude peaks at 1.2331 as the Moon's southern limb passes 2.4 arc-minutes north of the shadow's central axis. In contrast, the Moon's northern limb will lie 6.9 arc-minutes from the northern edge of the umbra and 32.2 arc-minutes from the shadow centre. Thus the northern sections of the Moon will appear much brighter than the southern part, which lies deeper in the shadow. Since the Moon samples a large range of umbral depths during totality, its appearance will change dramatically with time. It is not possible to predict the exact brightness distribution in the umbra, so observers are encouraged to estimate the Danjon value at different times during totality (see Danjon Scale of Lunar Eclipse Brightness ). Note that it may also be necessary to assign different Danjon values to different portions of the Moon (i.e. north vs. south).

For Mumbai Location there is something more to see – Occultation of 5:81 Mag 56 Leo Star by Moon. While coming out Moon will occult Start “56 Leo” with its shadowed portion at 5:59 AM and Start will reappear at 6:24 AM also from dark shadowed side of Moon.

Something Interesting Humm………..

- Sameer Thakur

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Danjon Scale of Lunar Eclipse Brightness- From NASA Eclipse Page

The Moon's appearance during a total lunar eclipse can vary enormously from one eclipse to the next. Obviously, the geometry of the Moon's path through the umbra plays an important role. Not as apparent is the effect that Earth's atmosphere has on total eclipses. Although the physical mass of Earth blocks all direct sunlight from the umbra, the planet's atmosphere refracts some of the Sun's rays into the shadow. Earth's atmosphere contains varying amounts of water (clouds, mist, precipitation) and solid particles (meteoric dust, organic debris, volcanic ash). This material significantly filters and attenuates the sunlight before it is refracted into the umbra. For instance, large or frequent volcanic eruptions dumping huge quantities of ash into the atmosphere are often followed by very dark, red eclipses for several years. Extensive cloud cover along Earth's limb also tends to darken the eclipse by blocking sunlight.

The French astronomer André-Louis Danjon proposed a useful five-point scale for evaluating the visual appearance and brightness of the Moon during total lunar eclipses. L values for various luminosities are defined as follows:

L=0 Very dark eclipse. (Moon almost invisible, especially at mid-totality)

L=1 Dark eclipse, grey or brownish in coloration. (details distinguishable only with difficulty)

L=2 Deep red or rust-coloured eclipse. (very dark central shadow, while outer umbra is relatively bright)

L=3 Brick-red eclipse. (umbral shadow usually has a bright or yellow rim)

L=4 Very bright copper-red or orange eclipse. (umbral shadow has a bluish, very bright rim)

The assignment of an L value to lunar eclipses is best done with the naked eye, binoculars, or a small telescope near the time of mid-totality. It's also useful to examine the Moon's appearance just after the beginning and just before the end of totality. The Moon is then near the edge of the shadow, providing an opportunity to assign an L value to the outer umbra. In making any evaluations, the instrumentation used and the time should both be recorded. Also note any variations in colour and brightness in different parts of the umbra, as well as the apparent sharpness of the shadow's edge. Pay attention to the visibility of lunar features within the umbra. Notes and sketches made during the eclipse are often invaluable in recalling important details, events, and impressions.

Prepare for Messier Marathon 2007...

Hi Friends

March the month of Messier Marathon is near and its a perfect time to watch all work of "Messier" in Single night.

For those who are preparing for Messier Marathon, 16th Feb will be Good practice night as messier objects visibility will be as follows:

For Sure: 105
Difficult: 108
Extreme: 109
11o th Messier "M30" will not be visible.

it is an excellent opportunity for gearing up for March Messier Marathon as New Moon will be on 17th Feb. Catching all objects is not an easy task, you have to well prepared for Full Night. Starts and End of Marathon will be very busy, as many objects before Setting or before Sun rise.

In fact messier marathon is easier in Feb than actual month March as in March all objects will set one hour earlier than Feb and which makes evening objects more difficult to catch. So get most out of this opportunity.

what you need is:

1. Good Clean & Collimated optics Telescope – Min 4” with 40X magnification (25mm Eyepiece) will be Good Enough, But even 3” will perform equally good if night is clear.

2. You Sequenced List of Messier Objects – This is very crucial part of MM as success of MM is depend on how you sequence your list without missing any object to Set – important for evening objects and morning rising object.

3. Protection from Cold – This is also important as Nights can go very chilly and you will loose your enthusiasm of MM due to Cold.

4. Good Quality Charts – For quick locating Objects. Better to have own set instead of shared, that will save much time.

5. Good Clear Night, with Dark Site and Clear Horizons. (Vangani is good enough still, if you obscure bright lights).

Following is Observing Sequence For 16th Feb 2007,

Sunset on 16th : 18:41

Sunrise on 17th: 07:06

So we can start by 19:30

First Session: 19:30 – 21:00

1. M77 ---- 8.9 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Cet

2. M74 ---- 8.5 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Psc

3. M33 ---- 5.7 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Tri

4. M31 ---- 3.4 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- And

5. M32 ---- 8.2 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- And

6. M110 ---- 8.0 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- And

7. M52 ---- 6.9 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Cas

8. M103 ---- 7.4 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Cas

9. M76 ---- 10.1 mag ---- Planetary Nebula ---- Per

10. M34 ---- 5.2 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Per


Second Session: 21:00 – 21:30 – Dinner

Third Session: 21:30 – 23:30

11. M45 ---- 1.5 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Tau

12. M79 ---- 7.7 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Lep

13. M42 ---- 3.7 mag ---- Emission Nebula ---- Ori

14. M43 ---- 6.8 mag ---- Emission Nebula ---- Ori

15. M78 ---- 8.0 mag ---- Diffuse Nebula ---- Ori

16. M1 ---- 8.0 mag ---- SuperNova Remnant ---- Tau

17. M35 ---- 5.1 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Gem

18. M37 ---- 5.6 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Aur

19. M36 ---- 6.0 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Aur

20. M38 ---- 6.4 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Aur

21. M41 ---- 4.5 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- CMa

22. M93 ---- 6.2 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Pup

23. M47 ---- 5.7 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Pup

24. M46 ---- 6.1 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Pup

25. M50 ---- 5.9 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Mon

26. M48 ---- 5.8 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Hya

27. M44 ---- 3.1 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Cnc

28. M67 ---- 6.0 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Cnc

29. M95 ---- 9.7 mag ---- Barred Spiral Galaxy ---- Leo

30. M96 ---- 9.2 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Leo

31. M105 ---- 9.3 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Leo

32. M65 ---- 8.8 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Leo

33. M66 ---- 9.0 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Leo

Fourth Session: 23:30 – 00:00 – Tea Break

Fifth Session: 00:00 – 02:00

34. M81 ---- 6.9 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- UMa

35. M82 ---- 8.4 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- UMa

36. M97 ---- 9.9 mag ---- Planetary Nebula ---- UMa

37. M108 ---- 10.0 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- UMa

38. M109 ---- 9.8 mag ---- Barred Spiral Galaxy ---- UMa

39. M40 ---- 0.8 mag ---- Double Start ---- UMa

40. M101 ---- 7.9 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- UMa

41. M106 ---- 8.3 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- CVn

42. M94 ---- 8.2 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- CVn

43. M63 ---- 8.6 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- CVn

44. M51 ---- 8.4 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- CVn

45. M102 ---- 10.0 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Dra

46. M53 ---- 7.7 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Com

47. M64 ---- 8.5 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Com

48. M3 ---- 5.9 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- CVn

Once you complete this now its time to plunge into The Famous VIRGO CLUSTER of Galaxies…

You will start from “VINDEMIATRIX” that is Epsilon Virgo Star.

49. M60 ---- 8.8 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Vir

50. M59 ---- 9.6 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Vir

51. M58 ---- 9.6 mag ---- Barred Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

52. M89 ---- 9.7 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Vir

53. M90 ---- 9.5 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

54. M91 ---- 10.1 mag ---- Barred Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

55. M88 ---- 9.6 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

56. M87 ---- 8.6 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Vir

57. M86 ---- 8.9 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Vir

58. M84 ---- 9.1 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Vir

59. M99 ---- 9.9 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

60. M98 ---- 10.1 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

61. M100 ---- 9.3 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

62. M85 ---- 9.1 mag ---- Lenticular Galaxy ---- Vir

63. M49 ---- 8.4 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Vir

64. M61 ---- 9.6 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

Once you reached here you successfully completed virgo cluster, session is not over yet as you have to catch few more objects before you can rest.


65. M104 ---- 8.0 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

66. M68 ---- 7.6 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Hya

67. M83 ---- 7.5 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Hya

Sixth Session: 02:00 – 03:00 - Break

Well 67 Objects till 2:00 great achievement…. You are already through from faintest messiers now what is left is Bright Globular and Open Clusters and Few Bright Nebulas.

Lets have snacks and Tea and you can have some time to discuss with your friends. But don’t get sleepy as what will begin now will be pushing you to extreme by dawn, go keep in mind get fresh and start hunting again. It’s a big session ahead but you can have some relaxing time if you will be able to catch available objects fast and wait for rising objects.

Seventh Session: 03:00 – 07:00

68. M5 ---- 5.7 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Ser

69. M13 ---- 5.3 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Her

70. M92 ---- 6.2 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Her

71. M4 ---- 5.4 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sco

72. M80 ---- 7.3 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sco

73. M9 ---- 7.8 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Oph

74. M12 ---- 6.8 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Oph

75. M10 ---- 6.6 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Oph

76. M107 ---- 7.8 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Oph

77. M14 ---- 7.6 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Oph

78. M62 ---- 6.7 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Oph

79. M19 ---- 6.8 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Oph

80. M57 ---- 8.8 mag ---- Planetary Nebula ---- Lyr

81. M56 ---- 8.4 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Lyr

82. M6 ---- 4.2 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sco

83. M7 ---- 2.8 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sco

84. M23 ---- 5.5 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sgr

85. M21 ---- 5.9 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sgr

86. M20 ---- 6.3 mag ---- Nebula and Cluster ---- Sgr

87. M8 ---- 3.0 mag ---- Nebula and Cluster ---- Sgr

88. M24 ---- 2.5 mag ---- Star Cloud ---- Sgr

89. M25 ---- 4.6 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sgr

90. M28 ---- 6.9 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sgr

91. M22 ---- 5.2 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sgr

92. M11 ---- 5.3 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sct

93. M26 ---- 8.0 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sct

94. M16 ---- 6.0 mag ---- Emission Nebula ---- Ser

95. M17 ---- 6.0 mag ---- Emission Nebula ---- Sgr

96. M18 ---- 6.9 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sgr

97. M27 ---- 7.3 mag ---- Planetary Nebula ---- Vul

98. M71 ---- 8.0 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sge

99. M69 ---- 7.4 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sgr

100. M70 ---- 7.8 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sgr

101. M54 ---- 7.2 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sgr

102. M55 ---- 6.3 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sgr

103. M75 ---- 8.6 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sgr

104. M29 ---- 6.6 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Cyg

105. ---- M39 4.6 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Cyg

So far so good and now starts to toughest part of Race against Time… Following object rise after 6:00 am and Sun rise is on 7:06 so it requires skills, clear sky & unobstructed Eastern Horizon to catch these objects…

106. M15 ---- 6.0 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Pag

107. M72 ---- 9.2 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Aqr

108. M73 ---- 9.2 mag ---- Asterism ---- Aqr

109. M2 ---- 6.2 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Aqr

If you catch 105 hats of to you because 105 is not an easy target to achieve, you have to experience to know why I say so…

So best of Luck and if you Catch more than 105 let me know, I will put Your NAME in “Hall of Fame”…

And Don’t Forget to post your Messier Count with Observed list.

Happy Hunting…

Get your above list in Excel Format so that you can print it and use on field:

- Sameer Thakur :)

Early Bird catches...

The Saturn-Moon Conjunction !!!

Yes you read it correct. Set you alarm clock for early morning of Feb 3, 2007 to catch the most favorable Conjunction of Saturn and Moon.

On 3rd Feb 2007 morning Moon will pass just 2 arc min from Saturn. For Northern Indian Observers it will be occultation.

Actually this is one of the 12 Occultations of Series which Started on Dec 10, 2006 and will continue till October 7, 2007. These occultations will be visible in different parts of the word and during same time other parts of the world can see closer conjunction.

This is one of the case of closer conjunction. Unfortunately not a single Occultation will be seen from Mumbai. And this is the only conjunction we can see when it will be closest.
So plan now getup early in the morning, the closest pass will be at 6:30 am on Feb 3rd. The more northern (In India see map for occultation region) you are the more closer you will see the Moon to Saturn.

At closest Moon and Saturn can be seen in the same field of High Power Eyepiece. The view in picture will be something like image below.



Following is the Table of All Occultation and its visibility for Mumbai – (Sorry other Location Observers – I will try to give details for next events)
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Location Map for Occultation Visibility on Feb 3, 2007, Locations above Red Line can see Occultation.



So dont miss this event and do write back your observation...

- Sameer Thakur

I am really depressed ...

We all have seen brilliant photos of Comet McNaught in First week of Jan. I am really depressed not to see this comet visually. all our attempts to watch comet were unsuccessful due to Hazy and Cloudy Sky in evening, And Now as comet is not visible in Northern Part of Glob; I am depressed even more for being not able to see this comet in it’s full glory..

I hope you too will join list of depressed Amature Astronomers after you see these images of Comet from Southern Hemisphere.

= Click on Images to view in Full Size ===



Robert McNaught:
the Australian who discovered this comet that bears his name, finally got to photograph it this week when it became visible from the Southern Hemisphere.
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Pitt: This photograph was taken at Lake Macquarie on the NSW central coast on Saturday, 20th January using a NIKON 5700. The exposure was 8 seconds, f2.8 set at ISO 400 and with a focal length of 8.9 mm. On a balmy summer evening many interested people stopped to view the cosmic spectacle.
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Peter Terren:
Bunbury AustraliaJan. 22, 2007
The huge fan is visible far more than the naked eye can see in this 3 minute exposure with a Nikon D70s.
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Ashley Marles:
Christchurch, New ZealandJan. 22, 2007
Photo details: Canon 20D, ISO400, lens 24mm, 35mm, and 200mm piggybacked on Celestron C8
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Noel Munford:
Levin, New Zealand overlooking Lake HorowhenuaJan. 17, 2007
Photo details: Fuji S3, 70-200 zoom lens, Meade 1000mm f/10, 800 ISO, 2 sec.
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Graham Palmer:
Hastings New ZealandJan. 18, 2007Comet McNaught simply floored me with its beauty. I just didn't expect to see that. All images shot with a Canon 350D
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Sam Kay:
near Peaks Crossing, SW of Brisbane, AustraliaJan. 20, 2007 : = Red glow on horizon of setting comet tail.
Photo details: Nikon D50, 20sec, f1.8 50mm lens, ISO 1600. Image is about 20 deg wide.

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David Headland:
Oamaru, South Island, New ZealandJan. 22, 2007
Photo details: Canon EOS 20D, 70mm lens,
photo 1: 25s f/2.8 3200ISO
photo 2: 6s f/2.8 1600ISO

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Morton Henderson:
Wangi Wangi, Lake Macquarie, NSW Australia.Jan. 20, 2007
The tail is so big now, it's too big to fit in the field of view, and I left my wide angle at home!
Photo details: Canon EOS 10D, ISO 400, 70mm lens, approx 10 seconds.
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Emmanuel Jehin:
Paranal Observatory (VLT), Chile (2500m, Atacama desert)Jan. 18, 2007
A comet or an aurora ? That was just incredible ... the show of MacNaught is way above the Hale-Bopp display in 1997. I dont know to which comet to compare. Ikeya-Seki (1965), West (1976) or even the great comet of 1744 ? During nearly one hour after the comet had disappeared in the Pacific Ocean we could see the upper part of the tail shining like an aurora. The structure in the tail is amazing and reflects the activity of the comet in the past weeks as well as the competion between solar radiation pressure and gravity on dust particules of different masses.
Photo details: Canon EOS 350D, 35mm lens, 30 sec exposure, 1600 iso
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NOTE: While the comet is in the southern hemisphere, the comet's tail is so long it can be seen half a world away--in the northern hemisphere.

This report comes from Colorado:
Paul Robinson reported spotting the tail on Jan 16 west of Boulder CO. As he described, the multiple streamers looked like faint auroral rays. 10 degrees was the maximum length I saw for the brightest streamer in 10x40 binoculars. Brightest star in the image is Enif, and Delphinus is near the lower right.

Photo details: Canon 20D, ISO 1600, f/4, 17mm lens, 20 seconds. Taken at 0038 UT on Jan 18 2007, 1838 MST on Jan 17.

The tail was visible in binoculars about when Venus set.

Suggestion: Find the darkest western sky you can, and look at latest by an hour after sunset. A site with zodiacal light visible would be best. Cheers, Dan Laszlo, Northern Colorado Astronomical Society.

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HOPE you are depressed too :(