Home > Comet > Comet Lovejoy is growing a new tail

Comet Lovejoy is growing a new tail

December 16, 2011

Wow!  It looks like C/2011W3 Lovejoy is growing two new tails, a faint ion tail and a brighter dust tail.

Comet Lovejoy growing new tails. Courtesy ESA, NASA, LASCO C3 group.

Comet Lovejoy growing new tails. Courtesy ESA, NASA, LASCO C3 group.

The old tail is still visible.

Categories: Comet
  1. Scott's avatar
    Scott
    December 17, 2011 at 7:35 am

    Any news on the comets brightness? Looks like the ion tail is brightening quickly. Will we see this one?

    • bobmoler's avatar
      bobmoler
      December 17, 2011 at 8:57 am

      Hi Scott,

      Looks like Terry Lovejoy himself has spotted his comet heading out from the sun. Our problem is that te sun is just about as far south as it gets in our sky now, and the comet itself is heading back to the south. That’s why the best viewing is from south of the equator.

      Bob

      • Scott's avatar
        Scott
        December 17, 2011 at 9:23 am

        Yeah I have noticed that. Do they have a magnitude on it yet?

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