Comet Lemmon to Grace Evening Skies This Week
Skywatchers should look west after dark this week for a glimpse of โขComet Lemmon, currentlyโ making itsโ closest approach to Earth. The comet will be closest to our planet on Tuesday, October 21, andโค closest to the Sunโข on November 8, offering a potentially stunning celestial display.
Comets are dynamic objectsโ composed of dust and ices, and their appearance changes as they are heated by theโ Sun. This heating causes the ices to sublimateโฃ into gas,creating the comet’s characteristic tails. The colour and size of these tails depend on the comet’s composition, its โคangleโค relative to the sun and Earth, and the โamount of dust and gas it releases. โคExperienced astrophotographers have noted โa greenish tint to Comet Lemmon.
According to bogna Pazderska, comets moving close to theโ Sun are “very โdynamically changing objects, which results from their internal structure. they are very porous and are a mixture of dust and various ices.”
Here are tips for observing Comet Lemmon:
* โค Seek aโ viewing location away from city โlights with a clear westernโฃ horizon.
*โ Begin observing after dark as โthe sky darkens,โข looking towards the northwest.
* โค Binoculars can aid in locating theโ comet.
* Utilize astronomy applications like Stellarium or sky maps to pinpoint the comet’s currentโ position.
* Observe over several days to track its movement relative to the โstars.
