Catch Two Comets Lighting Up the Night Sky This Week
This week, sky gazers have a special treat. Two comets, Lemmon and SWAN, are making their way through our solar system. These icy space travelers are getting closer to Earth, and their brightness is peaking.
Comet Lemmon: The Star of the Show
Comet Lemmon is the star of the show. On Tuesday, it will be at its brightest and closest to Earth. It's shining at magnitude 4.5, which is similar to the brightness of the Beehive Cluster. However, it's a bit dimmer than the Andromeda galaxy.
- Visibility: Visible to the naked eye in very dark skies.
- Best Viewing: Use binoculars for a better view.
Comet SWAN: A Dimmer but Notable Appearance
Comet SWAN is also making an appearance. It will be closest to Earth on Monday, but it's not as bright as Comet Lemmon. In fact, it's about three times dimmer, with a magnitude of 5.9.
- Location: Look for the Summer Triangle in the southwest sky. It will be about halfway between the star Altair and the horizon.
Best Time to View
The best time to see both comets is about an hour and a half after sunset. You can check local times online.
- Comet Lemmon:
- Location: Northwest sky near the Big Dipper and the bright star Arcturus.
- Position: On Monday, it will be close to the horizon, but on Tuesday, it will be a bit higher.
Astrophotography Resources
If you're into astrophotography, there are plenty of resources to help you capture these comets:
- Websites:
- The Sky Live
- In-The-Sky.org
- Apps:
- Sky Guide
- Sky Tonight
Unique Journeys of the Comets
These comets are on very different paths:
- Comet Lemmon:
- Orbit: Will loop around the sun on November 8.
- Return: Won't be back for another 1,350 years.
- Interesting Fact: Jupiter's gravity has shortened its orbit by nearly 200 years.
- Comet SWAN: Has its own unique journey.
