Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy): 4th mag in late Dec / early Jan

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Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy): 4th mag in late Dec / early Jan

Post by starfinder »

Yet another Terry Lovejoy discovery, Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy), is expected to peak at 5th mag in late Dec 2014 - early Jan 2015:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronom ... y-1211142/

This seems to be the year of mag 5 / mag 6 comets.

A check with a planetary app, the excellent SkySafari, shows that Singapore is very well placed for Comet Lovejoy. From now (mid-Dec) to mid-Feb 2015, the comet will be at least 30 deg above the horizon every night, and near the zenith on some nights.

Closest approach is on 7 Jan 2015, with perihelion passage on 30 Jan 2015.

It's now reported at around mag 6.5:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Com ... s/messages

Hope to bag this one in the eyepiece and by imaging.

Maybe those with giant Dobs can bring it out for comet viewing, like somewhere by the sea, heh.
Last edited by starfinder on Sun Dec 21, 2014 3:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy): 5th mag in late Dec / early J

Post by starfinder »

Update:

As of yesterday (14 Dec), Comet Q2 Lovejoy has been reported at already mag 5.7:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Com ... sages/5931

Seems that the comet is again brightening faster than expected. If this trend continues, it may peak at mag 4+ in early Jan, which would make it brighter than all the globular clusters except the top two.

To repeat, Singapore is very well placed for this comet.

On 9 January 2015, when at peak brightness, Comet Q2 Lovejoy will be at the zenith overhead Singapore, in Taurus, at around 10pm.
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Re: Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy): 5th mag in late Dec / early J

Post by Airconvent »

Cool Gavin! Can't wait to hear more of your reports as a our resident Comet aficionado! :)
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Re: Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy): 4th mag in late Dec / early J

Post by starfinder »

Hey Rich, here's an update report as requested!

I viewed the comet for the 2nd time today, Sat 20 Dec 2014 (the first was around last Monday), from Singapore city.

The skies were quite clear this evening, from around 10pm to 2am+.

I managed to view Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) through a variety of instruments:

- In the eyepiece of my Meade LX-90 8" SCT, when the sky conditions were good, the comet was readily seen. It was obvious and fairly bright. The best magnification was at around 50-100x (with 40mm and 20mm eyepieces). The comet appeared white, with a strong central condensation. The comet was well enhanced with a Lumicon Comet filter: the contrast was greater and the visible comet doubled in size; in fact it appears to be quite a large comet. No tail was seen using all of the instruments.

- I also managed to view the comet with a Canon 15x50 IS bino (quite faint but obvious once you know where to look for it), budget 10x50 bino, 8x42 (fainter) and 20x80 binos (good!). With the 15x50 bino, I did a simple out-of-focus comparison of the comet with nearby stars, and estimated it at around mag 5.7. However, if I was viewing it from a dark sky site, I probably would have estimated it to be brighter, using this method.

- Also viewed the comet through a Skywatcher 120mm ED. Good views!

The comet was then in Columba (just 'below' Canis Major's hind legs), at about 50 deg above the southern horizon.

I must note that it is quite rare for us here in equatorial Singapore to be able to see a comet at below mag 6, so high up in the sky during full darkness. It was quite a treat to be able to readily see this comet in such conditions here. We should take advantage of this rare opportunity! Plus make another effort to view it on around 9 Jan 2015, when it's predicted to peak at around mag 4.1.

Besides viewing it, I also imaged the comet with 35mm/50mm lens and through the LX-90. Below is an image taken with the LX-90. Canon 60D, 15s at ISO 3200. Brightness and contrast (levels) enhanced. The comet appears greenish in the images.

Image
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Re: Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy): 4th mag in late Dec / early J

Post by kochu »

Nice report And image, Gavin
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Re: Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy): 4th mag in late Dec / early J

Post by starfinder »

Thanks, Kochu!

And here's a constellation-wide image which I took last night from Singapore city centre, which shows Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) set within Columba. The comet was then at around mag 5.7

Canon EOS 60D, single monochrome shot, ISO 1600, 3.2s untracked. Lens: Asahi SMC Takumar 55mm f/1.8 prime at f/2.8. Image cropped.

Date/time: 20.12.2014 1725UT
Comet at: R.A. 06hr 18m 58s Dec -36d 06m 50s

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Re: Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy): 4th mag in late Dec / early J

Post by looyaa »

Thanks Gavin for the share on Lovejoy.

Yesterday was quite a good clear night. Was at Sentosa with Clifford & Thomas. Clifford was the first to spot the fuzzy ball through his scope and later we confirm it is Lovejoy when we preview the shot using the DSLR (43mm). Step up the challenge to shoot the comet using 300mm lens....Thomas and myself caught the comet on our DSLR. Would have better images if we realised earlier that the lens fogged while we shoot.

My noisy image to share with all...Lovejoy from Singapore night sky...got a faint tail :D

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Re: Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy): 4th mag in late Dec / early J

Post by Airconvent »

Wow Gavin, You have an IS bino? No wonder you are the Bino Master too! That would certainly help in looking at comets, not to mention Juipter's moons. :)
I am not familiar with Columba but patiently waiting for January when it will be very near Orion, so I have a better idea where to look. You ARE hyped up with the comet as usual. Good photo... [smilie=bye2.gif]
:)

ps nice capture too George
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Re: Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy): 4th mag in late Dec / early J

Post by starfinder »

Rich, do try to catch this comet soon! Pity it's been so cloudy in the past few days.

Here's an optimistic updated analysis of Comet Q2 Lovejoy:

"Hi all,

I have updated my analysis of comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy). You can find it at the URL

http://kometen.fg-vds.de/aktause.htm

It is very astonishing that this comet shows a very steady increase with such a great activity Parameter over many weeks. If it should continue this evolution it will reach magnitude 4.0 in mid-January 2015, with the coma measuring about 25 arcminutes.

Merry Christmas and a Happy Year 2015!

Andreas"

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/com ... ages/24241
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Re: Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy): 4th mag in late Dec / early J

Post by starfinder »

After several days of total cloudiness, I managed to view Comet Q2 Lovejoy again early this morning, at around 2.15am - 3am on Sat 27 Dec 2014, from my home here in Singapore city.

The comet was in northern Columba, near the border with Lepus. It appeared much brighter than when I last saw it on last Sat night.

Through 20x80 binos, and in the eyepiece of a 120mm ED refractor, the comet was now much more readily seen, easily seen and obvious, of course with direct vision. Though I would say that it did not have a contrasty brightness punch: that may have to wait for another 1-2 weeks.

The optimum view was had using a 14mm eyepiece with the refractor. The coma was whitish, with a distinct point of brightening at the centre (as the false nucleus). With a Lumicon Comet filter added, and moving the comet left to right etc, I thought I could sense a part of the tail protuding from the coma (it was the correct direction). However, I could not be sure about it, and anyway the sky was not transparent.

Elsewhere, the comet has been estimated at around mag 5.1 - 5.3, eg:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Com ... sages/5964

However, current images show that the tail weakened significantly on around 24 Dec, but started to brighten up on 26 Dec.

Hope the comet gets good for us in mid-Jan!
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