Comets in Moominland

Widefield image of Comet ATLAS (C/2019 Y4). 127mm Meade 500 Apo Refractor at f=900mm and Canon 600d DSLR. 30x2 minute lights at ISO 1600. Credit: Kurt Thrust

Cropped enlargement of Comet ATLAS (C/2019 Y4) showing elongated coma at the front of a significant 'tail' and possible indication of a disintegrated nucleus. 127mm Meade 500 Apo Refractor at f=900mm and Canon 600d DSLR. 30x2 minute lights at ISO 1600. Credit: Kurt Thrust

Widefield image of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) 127mm Meade 500 Apo Refractor at f=900mm and Canon 600d DSLR. 30x2 minute lights at ISO 1600. Credit: Pip Stakkert

Cropped enlargement of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) showing near spherical coma with a developed tail.  127mm Meade 500 Apo Refractor at f=900mm and Canon 600d DSLR. 30x2 minute lights at ISO 1600. Credit: Pip Stakkert

" Two comets over the Jodrell Plank Observatory are currently visible through large binoculars or a small telescope . They have been moving through the constellation Camelopardalis the Giraffe, a constellation of visibly faint stars, which sit in the sky between the Constellations Ursa Major, Cepheus and Auriga. Comets move against the fixed pattern of background stars as they travel around the Sun in elliptical orbits of varying eccentricity.

Comet C/2019 Y1 (ATLAS) is currently in the constellation Cepheus and has an observed magnitude of 8.3 (below unaided eye from a dark site threshold of magnitude 6). The comet is approximately 166 million kilometres distant from the earth and the light captured from it in the above image took just over 9 minutes to travel to our telescope. After the 3rd May the comet will begin to recede from our planet. The comet will be closest to the Sun on the 31st of May as it follows it's near parabolic orbit through the Solar System. It is believed that it's nucleus has already been broken into a number of pieces by tidal gravitational forces. Close inspection of our images for the two comets show clear differences which may be associated with fragmentation of  Comet C/2019 Y1 (ATLAS) nucleus.

Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) is currently in the constellation Camelopardalis and has an observed magnitude of 8.7, so fainter than Comet C/2019 Y1 (ATLAS). The comet is approximately 255.5 million kilometres distant from the earth and the light captured from it in the above image took just over 14 minutes to travel to our telescope. This comet being much further away is intrinsically brighter. The comet is on a hyperbolic orbit and is currently heading in towards the Sun. The Hubble Space telescope has been used to estimate the size of the comet nucleus and is thought to be 18 km in diameter. Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) has broken records for its luminosity at its original detection distance. It is thought that it will be a naked eye object when closest to Earth in July 2022. 

Comet the Observatory Cat gave these two extra-solar visitors a 'big paws' up. Sadly the 'Visitor Centre' here at the Observatory remains closed". - Kurt Thrust acting CEO and current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.