Comet 96P/Machholz in LASCO C3

[Philalethes]

1 hour ago, Solarflaretracker200 said:

Wait, is it visible now? Because I thought it isn’t. 

It has an apparent magnitude of 4-5 right now, which is a 2-3 magnitudes brighter than ZTF currently. It's right next to Sol, though, so you can't see it with the naked eye during the day, and it sets roughly at sunset, so you will have a hard time seeing it then too (and it's trajectory is moving it along the horizon and sunset, so not much help there). It's probably going to be hard with a telescope too unless you've got some serious bleeding-edge equipment, the type that mostly large observatories have; but LASCO clearly sees it, as is evident from the imagery (although it's notably located in space, 1.5 gigameters from Earth). ZTF on the other hand I haven't checked the location of, but if it's in a more favorable location during the night it should be fully possible to make out using a telescope, or even binoculars.

Edited February 2, 2023 by Philalethes Bythos

[Apolo OnMars]

Nasa says " As the comet approaches the Sun, the coma grows larger. The solar wind pushes dust and gases from the coma causing them to be released into space forming the comet's tail. The solar wind causes the comet's tail to point away from the Sun." that sound interesting too 

[Philalethes]

7 hours ago, Apolo OnMars said:

Nasa says " As the comet approaches the Sun, the coma grows larger. The solar wind pushes dust and gases from the coma causing them to be released into space forming the comet's tail. The solar wind causes the comet's tail to point away from the Sun." that sound interesting too 

Yes, comets are very interesting indeed. I've read that comets typically have different tails, at least including one "ion tail" composed of gases that are subject to the magnetic influence of Sol, and an "antitail" composed of dust that isn't subject to that influence and ends up looking like a curve due to ending up in different orbits depending on where it's shed; I believe you can make out both of these in the C3 imagery, with the ion tail being the relatively bright straight stream pointing more or less away from Sol, and the antitail being the fainter curved tail that seems to bend 45-60 degrees relative the ion tail.

[novaxformepal]

Comets have 2 tails, one affected by the sun and one from the direction it travels from what I understand, However 2022 ZTF appears to have an anti tail facing the wrong way which they claim is an optical illusion because there would have to be another sun.  You can see the effect in the gif on the LASCO gif.  

[Sam Warfel]

1 hour ago, novaxformepal said:

Comets have 2 tails, one affected by the sun and one from the direction it travels from what I understand, However 2022 ZTF appears to have an anti tail facing the wrong way which they claim is an optical illusion because there would have to be another sun.  You can see the effect in the gif on the LASCO gif.  

Comet’s anti-tails are actually trailing the comet as well, it’s an optical illusion from Earth’s perspective. 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-tail

[novaxformepal]

52 minutes ago, Sam Warfel said:

Comet’s anti-tails are actually trailing the comet as well, it’s an optical illusion from Earth’s perspective. 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-tail

That where I got the explanation from, Odd that it's the only one showing what seems to be a clear tail in the other direction.   Photo's of other comets with so called anti tails look more like anamorphic lens flares 

[Sam Warfel]

1 hour ago, novaxformepal said:

That where I got the explanation from, Odd that it's the only one showing what seems to be a clear tail in the other direction.   Photo's of other comets with so called anti tails look more like anamorphic lens flares 

I doubt anything that dim could cause lens flares like that 

[hamateur 1953]

Mercy! I miss horsepower!   

On 2/1/2023 at 3:52 AM, Calder said:

Yeah, seems like it is. It would be interesting to know how many. Looks like it’s pulling off a sick drift around the sun right now. 😎

 

Check out comet Hale-Bopp for a truly bizarre hunk o ice I fortunately saw during a trip to mexico long ago. Hopefully some pix survived the analog era. also Hyakutake ( sp?) saw this in washington state at stevens pass. Awesome!! 

As an aside they are the source of our periodic meteor showers it is theoretically written. 

[Solarflaretracker200]

4 hours ago, novaxformepal said:

That where I got the explanation from, Odd that it's the only one showing what seems to be a clear tail in the other direction.   Photo's of other comets with so called anti tails look more like anamorphic lens flares 

Comets can’t cause lens  glares/flares. They are wayyyy to dim. The opposite looking tail is an anti tail (as others have said)

2 hours ago, hamateur 1953 said:

Check out comet Hale-Bopp for a truly bizarre hunk o ice

I read on that comet. Another very interesting Comet I find is X/1106 C1 That’s an interesting comet. You can read about it here. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/X/1106_C1

Oh also the Great Comet of 1680 is also an interesting one. 

Edited February 5, 2023 by Solarflaretracker200

[Archmonoth]

22 minutes ago, Solarflaretracker200 said:

I read on that comet. Another very interesting Comet I find is X/1106 C1 That’s an interesting comet. You can read about it here. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/X/1106_C1

Oh also the Great Comet of 1680 is also an interesting one. 

Both are quite fascinating! I also like this one form 2017, it's an interstellar asteroid/comet: Small Asteroid or Comet 'Visits' from Beyond the Solar System | NASA

[hamateur 1953]

Thanks for da links!  appreciate it kid.

4 hours ago, Solarflaretracker200 said:

Comets can’t cause lens  glares/flares. They are wayyyy to dim. The opposite looking tail is an anti tail (as others have said)

I read on that comet. Another very interesting Comet I find is X/1106 C1 That’s an interesting comet. You can read about it here. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/X/1106_C1

Oh also the Great Comet of 1680 is also an interesting one. 

 l

[Solarflaretracker200]

9 hours ago, Archmonoth said:

Both are quite fascinating! I also like this one form 2017, it's an interstellar asteroid/comet: Small Asteroid or Comet 'Visits' from Beyond the Solar System | NASA

This is quite interesting. Thanks for showing me!

 

4 hours ago, hamateur 1953 said:

Thanks for da links!  appreciate it kid.

 l

No problem!

[Drax Spacex]

16 hours ago, Archmonoth said:

Both are quite fascinating! I also like this one form 2017, it's an interstellar asteroid/comet: Small Asteroid or Comet 'Visits' from Beyond the Solar System | NASA

Given its hyperbolic trajectory around the sun, it is unlikely we will see Oumuamua again!  Which begs the question (or not) - who's gonna talk to the humpback whales?  There was vacillation in characterizing Oumuamua as a comet or an asteroid.  According to https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/comets/oumuamua/in-depth/, first it was classified as a comet, then an asteroid, then back to a comet "because it was accelerating."  I assume that means in addition to acceleration due to solar gravity, there was an additional acceleration component (however that happens).

Edited February 5, 2023 by Drax Spacex
Call me I̶s̶h̶m̶a̶e̶l̶ Oumaumua

[Archmonoth]

2 hours ago, Drax Spacex said:

Given its hyperbolic trajectory around the sun, it is unlikely we will see Oumuamua again!  Which begs the question (or not) - who's gonna talk to the humpback whales?  There was vacillation in characterizing Oumuamua as a comet or an asteroid.  According to https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/comets/oumuamua/in-depth/, first it was classified as a comet, then an asteroid, then back to a comet "because it was accelerating."  I assume that means in addition to acceleration due to solar gravity, there was an additional acceleration component (however that happens).

From my understanding, objects which don't come close to the Sun can resemble pancakes or daggers, taking on shapes which have the lowest spectral flux exposure. This is due to millions of years+ of cold and darkness. When they do get shaken loose and descend towards the Sun, their dagger points break and their pancake shatters, like cosmic dust swept away from the cold corners of the solar system. 

 

The acceleration and velocity maximum of local objects is how they are distinct form interstellar objects, but perhaps there are conditions where interstellar objects slow sufficiently, or local objects accelerate to qualify. For example, they could be accelerated from being sling-shotted around Jupiter, after talking to the whales of course.

 

I have a suspicion that when the James Webb Telescope data is processed and more objects are seen, there will be all sorts of exceptions and sub-categories for asteroids/comets. 

Edited February 5, 2023 by Archmonoth

[Philalethes]

3 hours ago, Drax Spacex said:

Given its hyperbolic trajectory around the sun, it is unlikely we will see Oumuamua again!  Which begs the question (or not) - who's gonna talk to the humpback whales?  There was vacillation in characterizing Oumuamua as a comet or an asteroid.  According to https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/comets/oumuamua/in-depth/, first it was classified as a comet, then an asteroid, then back to a comet "because it was accelerating."  I assume that means in addition to acceleration due to solar gravity, there was an additional acceleration component (however that happens).

Definitely extraterrestrial vessel swinging by for a gravity assist. Missed our chance for a real Rendezvous with Rama there.