Where’s Comet Lulin, Now?
I have not espied Comet Lulin since January 12 of the Julian. Yet tomorrow morning, which is January 31 of the Julian, I shall attempt to espy Comet Lulin, again. Barring an erratic departure from its prognosticated orbit, Comet Lulin should be about 1.5 degree east of Nu Librai tomorrow morning at around 5AM. Interesting how Comet Lulin’s orbit, at this time, parallels the ecliptic. Well, I find it interesting.
Also interesting is that Comet Lulin has so far stayed entirely put on page 57 of my personal copy of Pocket Sky Atlas. To me, that is amazing. Yes amazing that a comet’s progress, a comet streaking through the depths of space, hurtling through our miserable solar system, sent perhaps by some merciless space deity to warn us about this or that, may be represented by a pencil mark line on page 57. Yes. Represented by a pencil line more or less in parallel to the ecliptic.
Man! I sure hope I get to espy Comet Lulin when it’s really close to Zubenelgenubi. That potential event is not far off, maybe, a week.
The weather in these parts has been frightful lately, one dry norther after another. Yet, if I had been more round chested than flat chested, I could have personally espied Comet Lulin on either of the previous two mornings which would be the mornings of the Julian, January 29 and 30, inclusive. However, though I was out and about on those two mornings, those mornings were too cold fer me. I got too cold. Besides, the seeing was lousy. For example, on the morning of the 30th I could not espy any of the Leo Triplet convincingly. So since the weather was frightful, plus the seeing was pitiful, I went off to bed instead of waiting up for Comet Lulin.
Later.
This morning is cold, but not bone suckin’ cold.
Comet Lulin looks huge and bright this morning at 5AM, relatively speaking. That’s right, huge and bright in comparison to galaxies, far, far away. The fact is, Lulin is now just barely visible in my trusty 10x binocular and 9x finder. So I feel like Lulin has brightened up since January 12.
A couple of the faint and far away galaxies espied this morning are probably M89 and M100 in Virgo the Virgin. Too faint and far away is M101 in Ursa Major. M101 is, like M33, impossible from here. Also, M98 is impossible.
Ha! I actually attempted to espy NGC 5139 in Centaurus this morning right after I espied Comet Lulin. There is a gap in the trees and buildings to peer through. Yes. I do not have to go out into the light. Trouble is, no galaxy visible. I shall try, try again.
Also interesting is that Comet Lulin has so far stayed entirely put on page 57 of my personal copy of Pocket Sky Atlas. To me, that is amazing. Yes amazing that a comet’s progress, a comet streaking through the depths of space, hurtling through our miserable solar system, sent perhaps by some merciless space deity to warn us about this or that, may be represented by a pencil mark line on page 57. Yes. Represented by a pencil line more or less in parallel to the ecliptic.
Man! I sure hope I get to espy Comet Lulin when it’s really close to Zubenelgenubi. That potential event is not far off, maybe, a week.
The weather in these parts has been frightful lately, one dry norther after another. Yet, if I had been more round chested than flat chested, I could have personally espied Comet Lulin on either of the previous two mornings which would be the mornings of the Julian, January 29 and 30, inclusive. However, though I was out and about on those two mornings, those mornings were too cold fer me. I got too cold. Besides, the seeing was lousy. For example, on the morning of the 30th I could not espy any of the Leo Triplet convincingly. So since the weather was frightful, plus the seeing was pitiful, I went off to bed instead of waiting up for Comet Lulin.
Later.
This morning is cold, but not bone suckin’ cold.
Comet Lulin looks huge and bright this morning at 5AM, relatively speaking. That’s right, huge and bright in comparison to galaxies, far, far away. The fact is, Lulin is now just barely visible in my trusty 10x binocular and 9x finder. So I feel like Lulin has brightened up since January 12.
A couple of the faint and far away galaxies espied this morning are probably M89 and M100 in Virgo the Virgin. Too faint and far away is M101 in Ursa Major. M101 is, like M33, impossible from here. Also, M98 is impossible.
Ha! I actually attempted to espy NGC 5139 in Centaurus this morning right after I espied Comet Lulin. There is a gap in the trees and buildings to peer through. Yes. I do not have to go out into the light. Trouble is, no galaxy visible. I shall try, try again.
posted by ray pistrum at Friday, January 30, 2009
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home