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11/22/2013 – Ephemeris – President Kennedy and the quest for the Moon plus Comet ISON finder charts
Ephemeris for Friday, November 22nd. The sun will rise at 7:48. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 19 minutes, setting at 5:08. The moon, 3 days before last quarter, will rise at 9:43 this evening.
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Yes I remember where I was when I heard the news. Being a program about astronomy and space I’d like to think about the challenge he laid down “to send a man to the moon and return him safely to the Earth by the end of the decade”. This was in the midst of the Cold War in response to the Soviet’s triumph in sending Yuri Gagarin into orbit. It was made almost a sacred vow due to Kennedy’s assassination. No NASA program since was funded to the extent that the Gemini and Apollo programs were, so that on July 20, 1969 that promise was fulfilled. All of money spent in NASA’s 55 years is actually less than that of the recent bank bailout.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Comet ISON
Finder charts for Comet ISON for this morning, Saturday, Sunday and Monday mornings.
Chart for finding Comet ISON this morning (November 22, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.). Chart created using Cartes du Ciel.
Chart for finding Comet ISON Saturday morning (November 23, 2013 at 7:00 a.m.). Chart created using Cartes du Ciel.
Chart for finding Comet ISON Sunday morning (November 24, 2013 at 7:00 a.m.). Chart created using Cartes du Ciel.
Chart for finding Comet ISON Monday morning (November 25, 2013 at 7:15 a.m.). Chart created using Cartes du Ciel.
11/12/2013 – Ephemeris – Not one but four comets grace the morning sky now
Ephemeris for Tuesday, November 12th. The sun will rise at 7:35. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 42 minutes, setting at 5:17. The moon, 2 days past first quarter, will set at 3:19 tomorrow morning.
Comet ISON has competition in the morning sky now. There are actually three other comets within range of telescopes gracing our morning sky now. Comet ISON is still not brightening as predicted. It is still 2 to 3 times dimmer than predicted. Comet Encke is still brighter, Comet C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) discovered two months ago is almost as bright as ISON. It’s moving between Cancer and Leo now. C/2012 X1 (LINEAR) is the faintest of the four and a tough one to spot. It will appear to pass the bright star Arcturus a week from now. I’ll have finder charts for all these comets at bobmoler.wordpress.com with today’s transcript. Apparently the nucleus of ISON is still holding together.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
This is a busy chart with Comets ISON and Encke and Mercury for the period November 13th through 19th of November 2013 at 6 a.m. Created using Carts du Ciel.
Note that the star designated α is Spica, Alpha Virginis.
Comet Lovejoy and the constellation Leo for November 13th through 19th, 2013 at 6 a.m. Created using Cartes du Ciel.
Comet LINEAR track for November 13th through 19th 2013. Created using Cartes du Ciel.
The star designated α is Arcturus or Alpha Boötis. The brightest star is Boötes. Remember follow the arc of the Big Dipper handle to Arcturus.
The following are the latest magnitudes (brightnesses) recorded for these comets:
Comet Magnitude C/2012 S1 (ISON) 8 (1 magnitude dimmer than predicted) P2 (Encke) 8 C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) 6 (2.5 magnitudes brighter than predicted) C/2012 X1 (LINEAR) 8 (5 magnitudes* brighter than predicted) * 5 magnitudes brighter = 100 times brighter! Source is http://www.icq.eps.harvard.edu/CometMags.html. Search page using the C/???? ?? instead of name. Comets Lovejoy and LINEAR have multiple entries.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 