03/12/2018
If you are interested in astronomy (or have kids interested in astronomy)
This is for you:
Comet 46P/Wirtanen is making its closest approach to Earth (7,199,427 miles), it is among the ten closest comets since 1950...and among 20 closest comets since the ninth century AD!!!!!
There's still a lot of speculation about the predicted brightness of this hyperactive, spinning comet, it's already visible in our night skies through telescopes, it is faint at an apparent magnitude of around 5...it will definitely get brighter...but it is a tiny comet....so the debate is on... some say it will be the brightest comet in the top ten, others disagree... nevertheless, it's a chance to get your kids interested in space.
Here are some details:
The comet is expected to reach its brightest apparent magnitude at around 3/3.7, which is pretty bright...it means that it can be seen with the unaided eye... although it is a very small comet so don't expect much...and it will really help if you head out to open, unpolluted skies (no light pollution either).
To help you with finding a suitable, unpolluted location close to you, you can download a light pollution app on your smartphone. π
The comet will be visible in the evening sky, becoming accessible at around 18:53 (IST) on the 16th of December, 29Β° above your south-eastern horizon. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 22:12, 55Β° above your southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 02:23, when it sinks to 20Β° above your south-western horizon.
If you know your constellations, it should be visible between Cetus and Orion. To help with constellations, you can download a live astronomy map on your smartphone π
Helps if you carry binoculars. If you have a telescope then that's a bonus!
I posted this now to help you plan ahead... maybe gather some like minded friends and plan a night picnic?
Here's to clear skies on the sixteenth. β€οΈπ
(The GIF below of 46P/Wirtanen is recorded by Michael JΓ€ger on December 1, 2018 π)
(The timings are calculated by taking into account my location in Goa, people in the North East of India and in the Andamans may need to go online and check the details π)