Saturday, December 21, 2013

Shooting stars and comet lights at Christmas time - Spiegel Online

The night sky offers at Christmas time two appearances. On a clear day is likely the comet “Lovejoy” be best observed on Sunday morning and Sunday evening. In the Sunday night at the same time achieve the shooting stars of Ursids its maximum. “‘Lovejoy’, however, is likely to be discovered only with the binoculars,” the chairman of the Association of Friends star (VdS) said in the Hessian Heppenheim, Otto Guthier.

the shooting stars, it might look better – “when the sky is clear.” The Ursids are not as rich as the Geminid meteor streams or the Perseids. “But can expect to see 10 to 30 per hour,” said Guthier.

However, according to information from the German Weather Service observation chances are not very good. The best spend it before Christmas and on Christmas Eve mostly in the east and in the south of Germany. Elsewhere prevents an often thick cloud cover upward visibility. On the following holidays, “it is then slowly really difficult,” said the meteorologist Marcus Beyer. Among the clouds get stronger rain added.

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NAOJ / Masafumi Yagi

comet “Lovejoy”: At the time of consumption 130 million kilometers from the sun

Next comet approaching

“Lovejoy” could be noisy Guthier best be discovered in the northeast in the morning about an hour before sunrise, or in the evening, then in the north-west an hour after sunset. He’ll point nearest the Sun on 22 Reached in December – and keep a minimum distance of 120 million kilometers. A brilliant final act for 2013. Who miss the comet have seen again in January, chances are it.

2013 was a real comet year: in the spring ensured “PanStarrs” and “Lemmon” for outstanding eye-catcher. In the second half, “Ison” showed. At the point nearest the Sun but he broke up surprisingly. But the next comet is already approaching. The comet “linear” are some promising developments. It is aimed at full luminosity in early 2014.

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