Added | Thu, 06/12/2018 |
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Дата публикации | Wed, 05/12/2018
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Next Sunday, December 16, the comet 46P / Virtanen will approach the Earth less than 1.5 million kilometers. This will be one of the closest cometary approaches since the beginning of the space age. The nucleus of the comet is 1 km wide, but this proximity makes even small things big. Together with the gas atmosphere she now looks the size of a full moon. Mike Broussard from Louisiana, USA, photographed the comet on 2 December and have added for comparison the image of the moon.
However, despite its close approach, the comet 46P / Virtanen will never be as big as comet", Hyakutake 1996" or "Hale — BOPP 1997". Its a relatively small core of dirty ice can't produce enough gas and dust to create a really bright tail. At best it will be a great diffused cloud of size +3 or +4, barely visible to the naked eye and visible with binoculars or a telescope.
Last night on Cape cod in Massachusetts (USA) photographer Chris cook didn't need his telescope to capture the green glow 46P / Virtanen. He took a picture using a digital camera with a 35mm lens.
"So the comet looked to the naked eye, but binoculars 7×50 I saw a very large coma (gas ball), almost 1° in diameter! It reminds me of the massive who "Hakutaka", but less bright," — said cook.
Renowned astrophotographer Juan Carlos Casado, who captured a comet over a Church tower in Spain, advises newcomers: "Use RAW, fast lens (minimum f/2.8) and ISO settings between 1600 and 3200. Exposure depends on the focal length. I usually use the 500 rule: exposure = 500 / focal length (mm) without a tripod. In areas of slight light pollution, you can use a special filter that provides excellent color balance.
During closest approach the comet 46P / Virtanen can be found in the constellation Taurus. The object rises in the East at sunset and at midnight will be high in the sky.
Translated by «Yandex.Translator»
© Chris Cook
Translated by «Yandex.Translator»
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