by One of the great things about astronomy is that it is full of surprises, especially when it comes to comet – you simply cannot predict if a new one could possibly appear. But when you appear, both amateur and professional astronomers are very excited.
And that’s why there is a lot of sums in a recently discovered comet that is now visible through binoculars if you know where you have to search.
The comet is so new that it does not yet have an official name provided by the Minor Planet Center (MPC) of the International Astronomical Union. At the moment it is called the name Swan25f. It is partly named after the camera swan (solar wind anisotropies) on board the NASA and the Soho spaceship of the European Space Agency of the Solar and Heliosphärische Observatory (SoHo). It should get an official name soon.
The comet was discovered by the Australian amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazzo, who made the public available. Before that, he used the same method to discover a comet in 2020.
The Swan25f can currently be found in the eastern horizon in the Eastern Horizon in the Pegasus constellation. But in the next few weeks, when the comet moves through our solar system, it will rise a little higher in the morning sky.
The comet is so new that the MPC is waiting for additional observations to receive further information from it, e.g. B. his origin. Paul Wiegert, professor at the Ministry of Physics and Astronomy at Western University in London, Ontario, said that it is currently being assumed, from the most widespread ranges of our solar system, which the Oort -Cloud is called, in which hundreds of millions – or even trillions – are holding back from icy objects.
Swan25f, to see here, was photographed by the amateur astronomer Rolando Ligustri using a distant telescope in Utah. (Rolandro Ligustri)
The Oortwolke is stunning far away. The distance from the sun to earth is approximately 150 million kilometers, and this measurement is referred to as an astronomical unit (AU). The distance from the sun to the Oort cloud is estimated at 2,000 and 5,000 AU.
When and how you can see it
If you want to see this old relic from the formation of our solar system, you need a few things.
First you have to get up early. Swan25f is currently low at the eastern horizon and visible before sunrise. You can download astronomy apps to your phone with which you can search for certain constellations – in this case Pegasus.
Second, you need binoculars. At the moment the comet is not visible to the mere eye. At the moment it is in size 8. Visually, the naking eye can only see in terms of dark, high -high locations in size 6 (in astronomy the brightness lies on a scale in which lower and negative numbers mean lighter objects).
(CBC News)
Third, you need a little luck.
Swan25f reached its closest point to the sun, Perihelion for some time in February. Now we are approaching, which is why it becomes brighter. But whether this brightness will continue or not is unknown. Astronomers hope that it will be visible to the mere eye by the end of the month.
“We expect it to get brighter, not because it will necessarily become more solar heating and becomes more active and produces more of the gases we see, but our geometry in comparison we will get closer,” said Wiegert.
“And all of these details will work in his favor. So we hope that it will be brighter next month or something.”
And this happiness also extends to a clear sky.
If the comet remains intact and not how some break apart – although it is passed the most dangerous time for it, it should continue to rise in the sky in the next three weeks and climb higher.
Amateur astronom Dan Bartlett Images Swan25f by June Lake, Cali. (Dan Bartlett)
But be warned: the comet does not look like the photos that you see online or even in this story. These images are taken by turning several photos through telescopes and combining them together. Instead, what you see through your binoculars will be a weak, vague light field. And although this does not seem very exciting, just think about how far this object has traveled.
“A new comet is always exciting. They appear unexpectedly. They are very nice. They also tell us a lot about our solar system and how the planets have formed,” said Wiegert. “Well, you know, it’s a nice addition to our spring sky.”
